The General Staff of the Naval Forces of the Libyan Armed Forces announced on Thursday the rescue of 29 illegal migrants and their return to the Tobruk naval base, after they were found at sea while attempting to sail towards European shores.
The General Staff explained in a statement that the rescue operation was carried out by the patrol boat “Al-Murqab,” belonging to the Tobruk naval base, while it was conducting routine patrols within its area of responsibility. The migrants were found on a dilapidated rubber dinghy unsuitable for long-distance sailing, which put their lives at risk of drowning.
The Naval Forces confirmed that they returned the migrants to the Tobruk naval base, where they were handed over to the Directorate for Combating Illegal Migration – Tobruk branch, to take the necessary legal procedures and provide them with humanitarian aid.
The General Staff of the Naval Forces stressed its commitment to its humanitarian and national duty of protecting lives and rescuing illegal migrants who take to the sea in “death boats” operated by human traffickers, affirming that it will continue to monitor the Libyan coasts and counter smuggling and illegal migration operations.