TRIPOLI, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Seventy-one irregular migrants were rescued by the Coast Guard of the Libyan National Army in eastern Libya on Friday from a boat found about 250 nautical miles northwest of Benghazi, local media reported.
Al-Saa 24 news website cited the Coast Guard as saying the group included 70 Bangladeshi nationals and one Egyptian. The rescued, after receiving necessary medical and humanitarian assistance, have been transferred to a designated shelter to complete standard legal procedures.
Libya has long been a major transit point for migrants attempting the Mediterranean crossing toward Europe. Irregular departures have increased in recent years amid the country's fragile security environment since the fall of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with human trafficking networks running perilous sea journeys that frequently end in shipwrecks.
