Egypt's FM meets Croatian counterpart over hostage issue

Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry met his Croatian counterpart Vesna Pusic on Friday to discuss ways to secure the release of a Croatian national kidnapped by a terrorist group, state-run MENA news agency reported.

The Foreign Ministry's Spokesman Ahmed Abu Zaid said Egyptian authorities are making strenuous efforts to find the hostage's location.

"According to information we have, the Croatian hostage named Tomislav Salopek was kidnapped in July, not two days ago," the spokesman said, adding that "the Egyptian authorities are doing all they can to find him."

On Wednesday, an extremist group, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS), released a video in which a man who identified himself as Tomislav Salopek said his captors would kill him unless the Egyptian government releases Muslim women allegedly held in prisons within 48 hours.

Egyptian authorities later confirmed the authenticity of the video and the hostage's identity, and the police and army have begun searching for the hostage.