Eleven European tourists and eight Egyptians kidnapped in southern Egypt have been released and are safe, the country's foreign minister says.

The five Italians, five Germans and a Romanian had been abducted along with eight Egyptian travel guides and drivers last Friday.

The abduction took place near the Gilf al-Kebir plateau, close to the Libyan and Sudanese borders.

Egypt had said the kidnappers were bandits who had demanded a ransom.

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Mr Abul Gheit said ahead of a meeting with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: "They have been released, all of them, safe and sound.

"It was a group of gangsters."

Tour owner's call

Earlier, Egypt had said bandits had demanded a ransom of up to $6m (£3.24m) and it was feared the group had been taken to Sudan.

Kidnappings of foreigners in Egypt have been very uncommon in recent years.

The tourism ministry said those abducted along with the foreigners were two guides, four drivers, a guard and the owner of the travel company who had organised the trip to Gilf al-Kebir.

Gilf al-Kebir is a giant plateau famous for its prehistoric cave paintings, which featured in the 1996 film The English Patient.

The Egyptian Mena news agency reported that the tour company owner had called his wife on a satellite phone to say the group had been kidnapped by five masked men speaking English "with an African accent".

The BBC's Ian Pannell in Cairo says local guides have indicated that the Gilf al-Kebir area has become increasingly unsafe this year.

Another group of foreigners was held at gunpoint in February and three of their vehicles were taken.

An investigation at the time pointed the blame at smugglers and bandits.

Our correspondent says there has been criticism that the Egyptian military has not done enough to patrol the area despite the increased threat.

(BBC)

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