Nearly 50 French, British nationals evacuated from Libya

Bs_logoImage
AFP Paris
Last Updated : Jul 30 2014 | 6:58 PM IST
France has evacuated nearly 50 French and British citizens from Libya by ship, French authorities said today, amid growing lawlessness and unrest in the north African country.
The French chief of staff said 40 French nationals and seven Britons were pulled out in the overnight operation and would be taken to the southern French port city of Toulon.
A French naval frigate was on standby during the evacuation.
The French ambassador was among those who left and the embassy has been temporarily closed, said foreign ministry spokesman Vincent Floreani.
France had on Monday advised its nationals - of whom less than 100 remained in Libya - to leave the country immediately and contact the embassy for evacuation.
Several other European countries including Britain, Germany and the Netherlands have also advised nationals to leave Libya.
France opted to stage a maritime evacuation due to fighting for control of Tripoli's airport.
The United States evacuated staff from its Libyan embassy -- which lies on the road to the airport - by road but under air cover on Saturday.
Fighting around the airport and between rival militias over the past two weeks has killed scores of people and prompted several countries to urge their citizens to leave Libya.
Many people holding both French and Libyan passports have chosen to stay on, officials said.
Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 30 2014 | 6:58 PM IST