The Libyan
coastguard has rescued more than 900 African and Asian migrants
attempting to
reach Europe, a navy spokesman said on Saturday.
“A
coastguard patrol from Zawiya (west of Tripoli) intercepted five inflatable
boats and a wooden vessel carrying 906 migrants at dawn on Friday,” General
Ayoub Qassem said.
He added
that 25 children and 98 women, including seven who were pregnant, were among
those rescued.
“One of the
rubber boats was holed and on the point of sinking, while the wooden one did
not have a motor,” he said.
People
traffickers have exploited the chaos in Libya since a 2011 uprising toppled and
killed strongman Moamer Kadhafi to boost their lucrative but deadly trade.
AFP
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