No Filipinos were killed or hurt after a deadly airstrike at a migrant detention center in Tripoli killed at least 40 people and left 80 injured.
The Foreign Affairs Department said that Filipinos should exercise vigilance and extra necessary precautions following the airstrike.
“The detention center, which was located next to a military camp, housed mostly African migrants. The Embassy advised Filipinos residing or working near military facilities or formations to take added precautions and to relocate if necessary in the wake of the announcement by the Libyan National Army (LNA) that they will be carrying out more airstrikes against military targets inside Tripoli,” the DFA said.
The DFA furthered that the migrant detention center in Tajoura District is about five kilometers from a hospital compound where around 40 Filipino nurses and their dependents were staying.
“(The) Embassy remains concerned about the safety of more than 40 Filipino nurses and engineers who could not be convinced to temporarily leave their work places which are in areas where fighting has been taking place,” the DFA said.
At least 1,000 Filipinos are in the Libyan capital, and most of them are nurses and hospital workers.
“On Sunday, 11 Filipino nurses sought shelter at the Embassy after fighting again broke out near their hospital south of Tripoli. Another six Filipinos have requested assistance in getting repatriated due to the fighting,” the DFA added.
File photo from AFP
