Updated

Malta's prime minister says the Maltese oil company worker who was kidnapped by Libyan rebels on July 17 has been released.

Retired armed forces Capt. Martin Galea, 42, was flown back to Malta on Monday on a flight that left from Mitiga airport, near Tripoli. The Libyan capital's international airport is closed as fighting between different Libyan factions rages on.

Galea was abducted on the outskirts of Tripoli while on his way to work and taken to an undisclosed location where he was kept for 11 days. The Maltese government immediately established contacts with the kidnappers.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said no ransom was paid by the government for Galea's release.