Austria’s foreign ministry says nine foreign oil workers have been kidnapped by ISIL militants in Libya.

The workers, from Austria, the Czech republic, Bangladesh, the Philippines and at least one African country, are understood to have been taken from the al-Ghani oilfield last week.

The foreign ministry says there has been no sign of them since, adding that the group were uninjured when they were taken away.

Foreigners have have increasingly become targets in Libya, where two rival governments are battling for control and Islamist extremists have grown in the chaos.