A video has emerged this evening showing the rescue of a Maltese man kidnapped in Libya for 47 days.

The four-minute video shows a group of masked men charging their way into a compound near Tripoli and holding down two men before rescuing Noel Sciberras. 

Mr Sciberras, director of a company which administers car parks, had been abducted by a gang in Tajoura.

The captors had originally demanded a $5 million ransom for his release, according to Radda. It is not known whether any payment was made.

In a clip after his release, Mr Sciberras is seen saying he only had bread and cheese throughout his captivity and his captors only gave him food for 10 days.

"When I was locked in my room I didn't change clothes for 41 days," he is seen saying, adding that his captors took pictures of him to send to the Maltese government.

In a Facebook message, the group said elements of its Special Deterrent had proceeded to arrest a gang which had split in two, one to carry out the abduction and the other to guard the kidnapped man. It said this gang had abducted many citizens as well as foreigners including the Maltese man.

The Rada 'Deterrent' Force was responsible for the control of Mitiga Airport, now the only operational airport in Tripoli.

In a statement last Thursday, the Foreign Ministry thanked all involved in the operation. The government also thanked the members of the Maltese Secret Service for their assistance.