Efforts are on to evacuate Indian nationals from strife-torn Libya. The Indian embassy in Libya has been arranging for passports and other travel documents for all those who want to exit Libya by road.

Libya has around 6,000 Indians including over 1000 Indian nurses, a majority of them from Kerala.

India’s Ambassador to Libya, Azar A H Khan, met the nurses from Tripoli hospitals and assured them of their safety.

He said that Indian nationals are safe and the situation is being closely monitored. Out of the 430 Indian nurses based in two hospitals in Tripoli, 88 have sought help from the Indian mission for leaving the country.

365 nurses are based in the Tripoli Medical Centre, while 71 medical staff members, comprising technicians, paramedics and nurses, are based in Tripoli’s Al Khadra hospital.

74 out of 350 Indian nurses working in different hospitals in Benghazi have also sought help to leave the country.

The requests for evacuation have come mainly from Indian nationals working in areas around Tripoli international airport and Benghazi where the fighting is on between Government forces and Islamist militia.

Clashes between the government forces and Islamist militants in the capital Tripoli and Benghazi have left more than 150 people dead since July 13.

Rival militia groups are trying to seize Tripoli international airport and put their stamp of authority over Benghazi.