Libya says boat with 700 Europe-bound migrants intercepted

By SAMY MAGDY
The Associated Press

CAIRO (AP) — Coast guard forces in eastern Libya say they have intercepted a vessel carrying at least 700 migrants off the coast of the North African country. The coast guard said the boat was stopped Friday off the Mediterranean town of Moura, 90 kilometers (56 miles) west of the eastern city of Benghazi. It said the migrants are of different nationalities and that those who illegally entered Libya will be handed over to their home countries. It was one of the largest interceptions in recent months of migrants sailing to Europe, a destination for thousands fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.