TRIPOLI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- A total of 93 undocumented migrants were rescued off the coast of the eastern Libyan city of Tobruk on Sunday morning, according to a statement from the Tobruk Medical Center.
The migrants, identified as Egyptian and Sudanese nationals, were rescued by Naval special forces and the Tobruk Coast Guard 48 kilometers off the coast of the Al-Qardaba area, west of Tobruk, the statement read.
They were transferred to the Tobruk Naval Base and handed over to relevant authorities. The medical center also confirmed it had received several injured Sudanese migrants suffering from various health conditions.
Due to the insecurity and chaos that followed the 2011 ousting of longtime ruler Muammar Gaddafi, Libya has become a hotspot for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean towards European shores.
So far this year, a total of 9,999 migrants, including women and children, have been intercepted at sea and brought back to Libya, while 234 migrants died at sea and 226 others went missing on the central Mediterranean route, which includes departures from Libya and other countries, according to the International Organization for Migration.
