TRIPOLI, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The Libyan navy on Wednesday said it rescued 96 illegal immigrants off the country's western coast.
"A Coast Guards patrol on Tuesday spotted a broken rubber boat with a group of 96 illegal immigrants on board, all of whom are men," the Libyan navy said in a statement.
The rescued are of different African and Asian nationalities, the statement said, adding that they have been provided with humanitarian and medical assistance and taken to a reception center in the city of Khoms, some 120 km east of the capital Tripoli.
Western Libya, particularly in and around Tripoli, is witnessing violent clashes since early April between the east-based army and the UN-backed government over control of the city.
The fighting has killed 345 people, injured 1,652 others, and forced 42,000 others to flee their homes away from the conflict areas.
Thousands of illegal immigrants choose to cross the Mediterranean toward European shores from Libya because of the chaos in the country following the 2011 uprising.
