TRIPOLI, April 23 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan Red Crescent Society said Thursday that its Tobruk branch rescued 404 migrants at risk of drowning in the Mediterranean Sea off the eastern city of Tobruk, about 1,600 km east of the capital, Tripoli.
In a statement on Facebook, the group said the operation was carried out in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. It said the migrants, of various nationalities, were rescued from 10 boats after facing harsh conditions that put their lives at risk.
The organization said its teams rushed to designated landing points to provide immediate medical care and humanitarian assistance upon the migrants' arrival.
Shipwrecks involving migrant boats have increased in recent days as people attempt the dangerous crossing from Libya to southern Europe. Rescue operations and the recovery of bodies have been reported more frequently.
Libya has become a major transit point for migrants trying to reach Europe, particularly since the instability that followed the 2011 NATO-backed uprising which ended the rule of Muammar Gaddafi.
The International Organization for Migration said on Monday that 4,407 migrants had been intercepted and returned to Libya so far in 2026. It added that 772 migrants were killed or reported missing during the same period along the central Mediterranean route, one of the world's deadliest migration corridors.
