TRIPOLI - A truck transporting cash equivalent to $51.5 million was seized by a group of gunmen in Libya's northern port city of Sirte, official media reported on Monday.

A dozen of armed militiamen, approaching in two cars, took control of the truck and drove away, one of the security staff escorting the cash vehicle told the LANA news agency.

The security staff surrendered immediately given the number of the militiamen, he said.

"The truck was transporting 53 million Libyan dinars and about 12 million in euro and dollar currency," LANA quoted the local branch of the central bank as saying.

The money was transported by plane from the Libyan capital of Tripoli to Sirte before being loaded on the truck in a special container for transfer.

Authorities have began searching in Sirte for the armed assailants.