Two German citizens detained in Hong Kong - foreign ministry

Two German citizens have been detained in Hong Kong and are receiving consular support, a source at the German foreign ministry said on Friday. The source said the German consulate in Hong Kong was in touch with lawyers and local authorities, giving no further details.

Hong Kong police said they had detained two foreign men during a "dispersal operation" against a group of protesters gathered in Tuen Mun, a town in the New Territories.

Hong Kong has been convulsed by months of protests against perceived meddling by Beijing in the former British colony, which returned to Chinese rule in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" formula guaranteeing freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland.

One of the foreign citizens, a 22-year-old, was arrested for illegal assembly and for breaching a ban on face masks, police said. A 23-year-old was arrested for illegal assembly. Newspaper Bild earlier reported that two exchange students at Hong Kong's Lingnan University had been detained in the region. The university could not be reached for comment.

(With inputs from agencies.)