( CNN ) -- Gunmen stopped a bus near Beirut , Lebanon , in the early hours of Friday , boarded it and kidnapped two Turkish pilots , Turkey 's foreign ministry said . The pilots work for Turkish Airlines . They were riding the bus from Rafic Hariri International Airport to their hotel when the assailants in two vehicles stopped it , Lebanon 's state-run National News Agency reported . Reports on the number of attackers varied from four to eight . Other employees aboard the bus made it safely to the hotel and are to head back to Turkey later Friday , the foreign ministry said . `` The Lebanese government has begun taking the necessary steps for an investigation , '' the ministry said . Security agents questioned the driver as a witness , the news agency reported . CNN 's Mohammed Jamjoom contributed to this report .
Gunmen halt a bus near Beirut , Lebanon . Photograph: The rest of the crew is safe at a hotel and will return to Turkey soon .