BENGHAZI, Libya (Reuters) - An unidentified armed group kidnapped three Filipinos and one Korean working as technicians at a water plant in south eastern Libya, an official said on Friday.

The group also kidnapped several Libyan workers in the morning raid at the Al-Hassouna plant near Ishwirif, but later released them, said the official, who asked not to be named for security reasons. The official did not say whether the Korean citizen was from North Korea or South Korea.

The Great Man-made River Project later confirmed the abduction in a statement, demanding the release of the workers as soon as possible.

Various armed groups including Islamist militants linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State have a presence in Libya, especially in remote desert areas.

Risks for foreign workers have been high since political splits and conflict resulted in a security vacuum in much of the country in the years following a 2011 uprising.