By Barbara Starr
CNN Pentagon Correspondent
(CNN) — The four U.S. military personnel being held in Libyan government custody have been released, a U.S. Defense Department official said late Friday.
The four were believed to have been detained by the ministry of the interior, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
It was not immediately known why the American personnel were being held. “We are seeking to further ascertain the facts and ensure their release,” said the official.
The four were in Libya “augmenting security at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli,” the official said.
CNN’s Elise Labott contributed to this report.
