Scores of undocumented migrants rescued off Libya coast

By Walid Abdullah

TRIPOLI, Libya

The Libyan navy on Thursday announced the rescue of 213 undocumented migrants off the Mediterranean coast east of capital Tripoli.

“The rescue operation took place yesterday afternoon 14 miles [roughly 23 kilometers] north of the town of Gasr Garabulli,” Colonel Ayoub Qassem, a spokesman for the Libyan navy, told Anadolu Agency.

“Most of the migrants, who hail from various African countries, have not yet been identified,” Qassem added.

Ever since the collapse of central authority in Libya six years ago, the country’s northwestern coast has become a hub for illegal migration to Italy and other countries in Europe.