Two Americans were being held by the Libyan army at its headquarters in the city of Benghazi, a local security source and army sources told Reuters late yesterday.

The identity of the two Americans was not immediately clear nor why they were detained.

The US embassy in Libya could not be reached for comment.

Last week, four American military personnel were detained by the Libyan government and held in custody for several hours before being released, US officials said.

Meanwhile, earlier yesterday, a Briton and a New Zealander, both with gunshot wounds, were found dead in western Libya, a Libyan security source said.

“Their bodies were found near the coastal area of Mellitah,” he said,

No further details were immediately available.

Mellitah, near the town of Zuwarah and 100 kilometres west of Tripoli, is home to a large oil and gas complex co-owned by Italian firm ENI.

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