The United Nations said Tuesday that Libyan authorities had “shot dead three Sudanese migrants who tried to escape after they were intercepted by the coastguard in the Mediterranean Sea and returned to the country.”
The three were among the 73 Europe-bound migrants, mostly from Sudan, who were returned late on Monday to the western coastal town of Khoms – about 120km east of Tripoli -, said Safa Msehli, spokesperson for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on Tuesday.
The IOM said local authorities started shooting when the migrants attempted to escape from the disembarkation point. Two of the migrants died on the spot, the third died after being transferred to hospital.
Two other migrants were wounded and were taken to local hospitals while survivors were moved to detention centers, the IOM added.
