(Image source from: Libyan Prime Minister abducted!})

It's true! Libyan Prime Minister Ali Zeidan has been abducted by rebels at gunpoint and bundled off to an undisclosed location, his government confirmed.

"The head of the transitional government, Ali Zeidan, was taken to an unknown destination for unknown reasons by a group'' of men believed to be former rebels, the government said in a brief statement on its website.

He was slyly waylaid from the Cornithian Hotel in Tripoli to a convoy of cars parked outside the hotel, a hotel clerk revealed.

The Prime Minister's media office earlier issued a statement denying Mr Zeidan had been abducted.

But, according to reports, his spokesman retracted the statement, saying: "We were under pressure to deny the kidnapping of Ali Zeidan".

More details awaited on this.

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury