Retired AFM captain Martin Galea arrived in Malta on a Medavia plane last night after being held captive in Libya for 11 days. Photos: Darrin Zammit Lupi

Kidnapped Maltese oil worker Martin Galea returned home safe yesterday evening after 11 days held captive in Libya.

“I am happy to be safe and sound but I know that this fact did not depend on me but on the great efforts of the Maltese government and, particularly, [Malta’s consul in Libya] Marisa Farrugia.

“I can openly declare that from what I have seen and heard, she literally saved my life,” Mr Galea said shortly after touching down at Luqa airport.

The retired AFM captain arrived at about 8.45pm on a Medavia aircraft scrambled purposely with six members of the Armed Forces of Malta’s special unit C Company on board.

He was released to the Maltese consulate in Tripoli at 5.50pm following a tortuous day in which the captors kept changing the drop off location; from Tunisia to the outskirts of Tripoli and, finally, the consular office in downtown Tripoli.

I am happy to be safe and sound... Malta’s consul Marisa Farrugia literally saved my life

Following a brief comment on the airport tarmac, he was reunited with his family then taken to hospital for check-ups.

He was not injured while held captive.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat welcomed Mr Galea accompanied by some of the protagonists involved in his release.

Dr Muscat thanked the foreign affairs and home affairs ministries, the AFM and the Security Service for their collective effort in securing the release while working in the background.

Despite having been abducted on July 17, news of his abduction was only broken by Times of Malta on Friday afternoon.

Dr Muscat yesterday insisted that silence was crucial.

“During this time we did not wish to make too many statements because of the delicate nature of the work. We didn’t want any declaration to put Mr Galea’s life in jeopardy,” he said.

Dr Muscat personally briefed the press about Mr Galea’s release some hours before his arrival but the government asked for an embargo on the news until the aircraft entered Maltese airspace.

He said the government managed to secure the release through a number of Libyan interlocutors, “all the while conscious that our contacting a person would not do harm”.

The reason for Mr Galea’s abduction and the identity of his captors remained a mystery.

When briefing the press, Dr Muscat said the government had indications but would not comment on the issue before the Security Service debriefed Mr Galea.

“We were given parallel versions and we have some questions which are unanswered. We will fill in the blanks only after the Security Service has spoken to him.

“So far, what we know for a fact is that he has been released and that was our priority,” he said.

Sources told Times of Malta two rival groups were blamed for the kidnapping, which took place on Tripoli’s airport road: a group from the town of Warshefana (strongly associated with ex-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi) and the Zintan militia, broadly allied to the post-revolution Liberal political wing.

He was held at a checkpoint with two other men, a colleague of Mr Galea, whose nationality is unknown, and the Libyan driver.

The captors are said to have become suspicious of Mr Galea because he was wearing a dog tag and was carrying some other army-related equipment. While the men he was with were released shortly afterwards, Mr Galea was held.

When asked why the other two men held at the checkpoint were released, Dr Muscat said that was one of the questions that were puzzling the government.

He said no ransom was paid for Mr Galea’s release.

“Nobody ever asked for money ever since we got involved on Sunday,” Dr Muscat said, adding, however, that the government was informed that the oil company that employed Mr Galea – Arab Geophysical Exploration Services Company – was asked for money at one point. However, no money was paid by the company either.

Both President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca and Opposition leader Simon Busutill welcomed Mr Galea’s release.

Mr Galea was employed as a health and safety officer for the past months. His release comes as the situation in Libya continues to deteriorate.

Two oil tankers were struck by rockets yesterday provoking a blaze that the country’s National Oil Company described as “out of control”.

The second tank was hit in the evening and is the largest facility in Tripoli, containing 90 million litres of fuel.

A statement posted by the Libyan government warned of a humanitarian and environmental disaster after fighting between rival militias caused the huge blaze.

Beyond the damage to the infrastructure, however, the fighting continues to exact a heavy toll on the population.

More than 100 people are estimated to have been killed and 400 injured since violence escalated two weeks ago.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry yesterday gave media access to the crisis centre, which is monitoring the movement of about 100 Maltese citizens who chose to remain in Libya despite the danger.

Most of them seem to be situated away from Tripoli – where the fighting is most intense – and are more concentrated in central and eastern oil fields.