Libyan Coast Guard said today that it has encountered two inflatable boats with 299 African migrants, including 40 women and 19 children, in the Mediterranean east of Tripoli, an Israeli press reported.

The migrants were rescued yesterday near the Libyan town of Zliten and taken to the port of Tripoli. There are no reported casualties. Libya has become one of the main transit points for migrants to Europe, as smugglers use the chaos surrounding the country since the 2011 uprising, when Muammar Gaddafi's regime was dropped. Recently, the Libyan authorities have stepped up efforts to cut the flow of migrants to Europe.