Libya: Coast Guard Rescues Some 160 Europe-Bound Migrants

Local Editor

Libya's coast guard said it has intercepted some 160 Europe-bound African migrants, including dozens of children and women, in the Mediterranean Sea near its shores.

Spokesman Ayoub Gassim said a boat carrying 158 passengers including 34 women and nine children was stopped Monday off the coast of the western town of Khoms.

Libya emerged as a major transit point to Europe for those fleeing poverty and civil war elsewhere in Africa.

Traffickers exploited Libya's chaos following the 2011 uprising that toppled and later killed longtime ruler Moammar Gadhafi.

He said the migrants were given humanitarian and medical aid, and were taken to a refugee camp in Khoms town.

Libyan authorities stepped up efforts to stem the flow of migrants, with European assistance.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team