LIBYA: Evacuation effort underway

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Greek passenger ships are heading to Libya to collect Europeans and about 15,000 Chinese citizens being evacuated from the North African country amid ongoing unrest.

‘Three passenger ships are sailing to Tripoli to bring back European citizens to a Greek port,’ according to a statement released by the Greek Citizen Protection Ministry on Tuesday. ‘Additionally, an operation is organized to transfer about 15,000 Chinese home through the island of Crete.’

Greek officials told Reuters that the evacuation was coordinated at the request of the governments involved. Earlier on Tuesday, Greece also sent a ship to repatriate Greeks living in Libya.

Meanwhile, the British foreign secretary told Reuters that a warship has been redeployed closer to Libya to aid evacuation efforts.

-- Molly Hennessy-Fiske