Libya

TRIPOLI, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Libya's Immigration Control Department in the eastern city of Benghazi on Monday announced the deportation of more than 100 illegal immigrants to Egypt and Nigeria.

The department said that 98 immigrants of Egyptian nationality were deported from Benghazi to Egypt, and 13 Nigerian immigrants to their country.

The International Organization for Migration said on Sunday that there are more than 650,000 illegal immigrants in Libya and about 6,000 of them are being held in detention centers, including women and children.

TRIPOLI, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Libya's UN-backed government late Monday condemned an airstrike that hit a house in the capital Tripoli and killed three children.

"The Presidential Council of the Government of National Accord condemns in the strongest terms the airstrike that was carried out this morning on al-Fernaj neighborhood in Tripoli, which killed and injured several citizens including women and children and frightened residents," the government said in a statement.

TRIPOLI, Oct 6 (NNN-Xinhua) — Libya’s east-based army announced early Sunday that it has launched airstrikes on the forces of its rival UN-backed government in the city of Sirte, some 450 km east of the capital Tripoli.

“The Air Force of the Libyan Arab Armed Forces have launched successive airstrikes on four military targets in Sirte, which are weapons and ammunition stores used by the terrorist militias (referring to UN-backed government’s forces),” Ahmad al-Mismari, the army’s spokesperson, said in a statement.

TRIPOLI, Oct 5 (NNN-Xinhua) — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that 165 illegal migrants have been voluntarily deported from Libya to Nigeria.

“Our team assisted 165 stranded Nigerian migrants in Libya, mostly women and children, to return to their homeland by a charter flight departing from Sebha airport (southern Libya),” the IOM said in a statement.

The voluntary return program is carried out by the IOM to arrange the return of illegal migrants stranded in Libya to their countries of origin.

TRIPOLI, Oct 5 (NNN-Xinhua) — The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Friday warned against the east-based rebel army’s attempts to divide the country’s national oil company.

“The UNSMIL is alarmed by indications that parallel, unrecognized authorities in Libya are threatening the operation and management of Libya’s National Oil Corporation (NOC) and its subsidiary Brega,” the UNSMIL said in a statement.

TRIPOLI, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Forces of Libya's UN-backed government on Thursday launched 14 airstrikes on the rival eastern-based army in southern Tripoli.

"The air force carried out 14 airstrikes on position of Haftar's militias (army) in southern Tripoli, destroying ammunition stores and military vehicles," the spokesman of the UN-backed government's forces Mohamed Gununo said in a statement.

The statement said that the airstrikes also destroyed operation chambers and fortifications of the eastern-based army.

TRIPOLI, Sept 26 (NNN-Xinhua) — Spokesman for Libya’s east-based army Ahmad al-Mismari said that the army commander Khalifa Haftar supports national dialogue and political process in the country.

“There must be dialogue and political process eventually. The comprehensive national dialogue must preserve the national unity,” al-Mismari said, pointing out that the army “has repeatedly demanded presidential and parliamentary elections be held.”

TRIPOLI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The eastern-based army of Libya on Sunday announced killing more than 90 members of the rival UN-backed government's forces in battles and airstrikes during the past two days.

"The death toll of the militias (UN-backed government's forces) exceeded 90 and more than 150 were injured, as a result of airstrikes and direct clashes. Most of those casualties are from the city of Misurata," the eastern-based army's information office said in a statement.

TRIPOLI, Sept 23 (NNN-XINHUA) – Turkey, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), France, Germany, Italy, Britain and the United States, declared support for the National Oil Corporation (NOC) of Libya’s UN-backed government.

“We fully support Libya’s NOC as the country’s sole independent, legitimate and nonpartisan oil company,” said a joint statement issued by these countries.

TRIPOLI, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- The security department of the western Libyan city of Zuwaraon on Saturday announced the arrest of 28 illegal immigrants who prepared to cross the sea into Europe.

The immigrants, who are of African and Asian nationalities, were arrested inside a house in the nearby town of Abu-Kammash, said the department in a statement.

Some of the immigrants have infectious diseases, the statement said, adding that they have been taken to the department to undergo legal procedures before being handed over to competent authorities.