Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan was kidnapped Thursday morning and was released only a few hours later.
Zeidan was kidnapped right outside of his hotel in likely retaliation for the U.S. raid for Abu Anas al-Liby, a key al-Qaeda member, Reuters reports.
The prime minister's kidnappers, who are said to be on the government's payroll, said that Zeidan should be looked into for his involvement in the U.S. raid on Oct. 5. The prime minister's time in office has been full of criticism for failing to impose order on the country.
The kidnappers held the prime minister in an Interior Ministry office before eventually freeing him unharmed after a brief skirmish with a Tripoli-based militia.
According to Fox News, Mohammed Kaabar, a government spokesman, said that the prime minister was "set free" and heading in to work.
Zeidan appeared on Libyan TV, where he thanked those involved in freeing him, but did not criticize those who kidnapped him.
"We hope this matter will be treated with wisdom and rationality, far from tension," Zeidan said on the air. "There are many things that need dealing with."
Many feel that the kidnappers were likely associated with "the Revolutionaries Operation Room" and "the Anti-Crime Department," which are both state-affiliated groups.