Libyan navy on Sunday rescued 335 illegal immigrants in three separate operations off the countrys western coast, according to the navy spokesman. Coast guards patrol at dawn today rescued 115 migrants of different African nationalities on a rubber boat off the coast of the city of Surman (some 60 km west of the capital Tripoli), spokesman Ayob Qassem told Xinhua. A second coast guards operation rescued 105 migrants of different African nationalities, including women and children, on a rubber boat off the coast of Sabratha city, some 70 km west of the capital Tripoli, Qassem added. The spokesman also said that a third operation was carried out by the coast guards and a commercial ship off the coast of the city of al-Khums, some 120 km west of Tripoli, rescuing 115 migrants of different African nationalities, including women and children, from a broken rubber boat. All the rescued were provided with humanitarian and medical assistance, and then handed over to the anti-illegal immigration department, Qassem said. On Saturday, Libyan navy revealed that 270 migrants, including 80 women and 11 children, were rescued on a large wooden boat of the countrys western coast. Libya is a preferred point of departure for illegal immigrants who want to cross the Mediterranean towards Europe, due to the state of insecurity and chaos. Xinhua
