U.S. Embassy in Libya “strongly” condemned on Sunday the reported killing of at least 15 migrants and asylum seekers in Sabratha, west of Tripoli. Libya was a key route for clandestine migration towards Europe even before the 2011 uprising that overthrew dictator Muammar Gaddafi. People smugglers from the western city of Sabratha – some 300 kilometers (185 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa – continue to play a key role. Migrants often face horrific treatment at the hands of smuggling gangs, and rights groups have repeatedly accused authorities and armed groups operating under state auspices of torture and other abuses. Since the start of the year, more than 14,000 migrants have been intercepted and returned to Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Source: Libya Today October 10, 2022 15:32 UTC