Sushma Swaraj says 17 coordinators appointed in Tripoli to help Indians leave Libya; Indian embassy helping people with exit visas

New Delhi: As the situation continues to deteriorate in Libya, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday said that India has appointed 17 coordinators in the capital Tripoli to help Indians leave the country. [caption id=“attachment_5207131” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. ANI[/caption] Swaraj wrote on her official Twitter handle, “Tripoli - We have appointed 17 Coordinators to help Indians leaving Libya. Indian Embassy is helping them with Exit Visa even in cases where their visa has expired. Presently, the airport is operational. Please avail of this opportunity.” Efforts to evacuate all Indians have been underway ever since tensions rose in Tripoli on 4 April, when Khalifa Haftar announced an attack on the Libyan capital to capture the region from the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). Swaraj had earlier appealed to around 500 Indians living in Tripoli to leave the war-ravaged country immediately. India already removed its entire contingent of peacekeeping forces comprising of 15 CRPF personnel on 6 April from Tripoli, a move which was followed by countries like the United States and Nepal.

Tripoli - We have appointed 17 Coordinators to help Indians leaving Libya. Indian Embassy is helping them with Exit Visa even in cases where their visa has expired. Presently, the airport is operational. Please avail of this opportunity.

— Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) April 24, 2019

  More than 200 people have lost their lives and 913 have been wounded ever since clashes erupted in the region. Libya has been largely divided into two factions ever since the death of its dictator Muammar Gaddafi. The LNA-backed parliament controls the east of Libya, while the UN-backed interim GNA governs Libya’s western region from Tripoli.