Libya: 125 Europe-bound migrants rescued off western coast

At least 125 Europe-bound migrants were rescued in two separate sea operations conducted in Mediterranean waters by the Libyan coast guard on Wednesday off the country's western coast.

Ayob Qassem, a spokesperson for the Libyan Navy, said in a statement that 80 migrants were rescued in the first operation that took place 103 kilometres off the coast of Zawiyah, while 45 migrants were rescued from a broken rubber boat found 65 kilometres off the Tripoli coast, reports Xinhua.

In recent years, thousands of migrants have lost their lives after undertaking dangerous sea travel on overcrowded rubber boats in a bid to escape the turmoil in their own country.

According to a recent report by the United Nations, more than 90,000 people have been displaced in Libya since April 2018 as a result of the armed conflict between Khalifa Haftar's army and UN-backed government forces in capital Tripoli.

The country has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of its dictator Muammar Gaddafi.

The LNA-backed parliament controls the east of Libya, while the UN-backed interim Government of National Accord (GNA) governs Libya's western region from Tripoli.

While the US government has primarily backed the GNA which is led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj, American diplomats and military officers have maintained contacts with Russia-backed Haftar.

Most of the international community has urged for a peaceful resolution to the intense turmoil which has ensued in the African nation.