Libyan Coast Guard rescues 152 migrants from drowning

Libyan Coast Guard rescued 152 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea on their way to Europe, a Libyan official said, reports the Patria news agency.

„The Coast Guard spotted early Wednesday morning a boat with migrants that was sinking," Colonel Ayoub Qassem, spokesman for the navy of the Libyan government in Tripoli, which is not recognized by the international community, told AFP.

"120 migrants were transported from the rescue area, near Sabratha (70 km west of Tripoli) to the Zawiya base (45 km west of the Libyan capital)," he added.

After the operation was completed, the Coast Guard was alerted to another vessel nearby and rescued another 32 people, Qassem said. Since Sunday, the Libyan Coast Guard has rescued about 750 migrants, while in Italian operations between the Italian and Libyan coasts more than 3,000 people have been rescued, reports Index.