Libya's navy said it has rescued 217 African migrants from two rubber boats that were stranded in the Mediterranean Sea east of Tripoli.
A navy statement issued Wednesday said there were 85 women and 10 children among the migrants, who were trying to reach southern Europe.
The navy said the migrants, who were found on Tuesday, were taken to a naval base in the capital.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking Libyan official said the number of illegal migrants detained by Libyan authorities has dropped significantly, reaching 5,200 from 27,000 in May last year.
This drop has allowed the country to close around 20 detention centers since May, the head of Libya’s Directorate Combating Illegal Migration, Mohamed Beshr, said.
There are currently 32 detention centers, he added.
