ROME, Italy (CNN) -- A group of tourists -- including five Italians -- has been kidnapped in Egypt, the Italian Foreign Ministry said Monday.

The ministry is in touch with the other foreign ministers and the Italian Embassy in Cairo, but did not specify what nationalities were involved.

A ministry official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 11 tourists were kidnapped in southern Egypt -- including five Italians, five Germans and one Romanian.

Egyptian government spokesman Magdy Rady told The Associated Press the group was on a trip in Egypt's remote western desert near the Sudanese-Egyptian borders when they kidnapped Monday.

He added that the four other people held are Egyptian nationals believed to be tour guides and security guards