Libyan soldiers said on Monday they had detained more than 300 migrants who were crossing the desert and trying to make it to the shores of the Mediterranean.
African migrants in Tripoli, Libya © Mena Today
Libyan soldiers said on Monday they had detained more than 300 migrants who were crossing the desert and trying to make it to the shores of the Mediterranean.
Aerial photos released by the 444 brigade - a force operating under the Libyan army based in the capital Tripoli - showed groups of men, women and children sitting on the ground, surrounded by soldiers.
The migrants were stopped by a desert patrol and would be "referred to the competent authorities," the brigade said on its Facebook page early on Monday. It did not say when they were detained.
Libya has had little peace since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and the country split in 2014 between western and eastern factions, with rival administrations governing from Tripoli and from Benghazi.
The country has become a key transit route for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing conflict and poverty across Africa, parts of the Middle East and other areas, hoping to cross the Mediterranean to Europe.
Reporting by Ahmed Elumami and Ayman Werfali
A drone caused the fire that engulfed two gas vessels at Egypt's Mediterranean port of Damietta, the Egyptian cabinet said on Thursday, confirming for the first time that the blaze which erupted a day earlier was the result of an attack rather than an accident.
Morocco's foreign ministry said it was concerned by the death of a national during a police arrest in Bologna in Italy and urged a "thorough investigation".
A Moroccan prosecutor said on Wednesday he had ordered the release of veteran journalist and political commentator Ali Lmrabet after questioning him, although an investigation continues following allegations of defamation and libel.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.