The coastguards of Al-Zawiya Refinery in the western branch rescued 8 boats on Friday in northern Sabratha city. The boats were filled with 1000 immigrants of different African and Arab nationalities.

The spokesman of the General Staff of Navy Forces, Ayoub Qasim, told Tripoli-based Libyan News Agency that the rescue operation took place when a coastguard patrol, which was checking the sea alongshore northwestern Al-Zawiya, caught the migrants on boats 10 miles off northern Sabratha.

“Some of the 8 boats’ engines stopped in the middle of the sea, so we had to get the help of a tow from the Al-Zawiya Oil Company in order to tug the boats ashore.” Qasim added.

He also stated that all the rescued migrants were sent to the Coast Guard’ checkpoint in Al-Zawiya Refinery port, where they were provided with humanitarian and medical services and then they were handed over to the Immigration Fight Authority in Al-Zawiya.

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