The marines were surrounded by armed men and captured on Sunday after landing near Sirte in a Lynx helicopter that was on board a navy ship, HMS Tromp, which is anchored off the Libyan coast to help evacuations, Dutch defence ministry spokesman Otte Beeksma said.
Dutch officials were in "intensive negotiations" with the Libyan government to secure the marines' release, he said.
"We have also been in contact with the crewmen involved. They are doing well under the circumstances and we hope they will be released as quickly as possible."
Asked if the Dutch government considered the marines hostages, Beeksma said: "They are being held by Libyan authorities."
Two people the marines were trying to rescue were also captured but have been released and left the country. The identities of the marines were not released.
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