TRIPOLI, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- A total of 245 illegal immigrants, including women and children, were rescued on Tuesday off the country's western coast by two commercial vessels, Libyan Coast Security Department said.
"Two reports were received about two rubber boats with illegal immigrants onboard calling for assistance. The Coast Security Department ordered two merchant ships near the immigrants' boats to rescue them," Coast Security Department said in a statement.
One commercial vessel rescued 104 migrants, including 25 women and nine children, while the other one rescued 141, including 25 women and two children, the statement said.
The rescued migrants are of different African and Arab nationalities. They were provided with medical and humanitarian assistance and handed over to the Anti-Illegal Immigration Department, the statement explained.
A total of 84 illegal immigrants, including women and children, were rescued on Sunday off the coast of the city of Zuwara, some 120 km west of the capital Tripoli, the Interior Ministry said.
Libya is a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants wanting to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores because of the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African country.
The office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said on Sunday that it was saddened by reports of nearly 170 migrants died or missing in the Mediterranean. A total of 117 of them departed from western Libya.
More than 2,200 migrants died while crossing the Mediterranean toward Europe in 2018, the commission said.
