Global General

Tunisians flee from Libya; Egypt opens hospitals

(Agencies)
Updated: 2011-02-22 06:10

TUNIS - Some 2,600 Tunisian nationals living in Libya have fled to the Tunisian-Libyan border post of Ras El Jedir, the official press agency TAP reported Monday.

More than 300 were evacuated by plane. There are 50,000 Tunisians living in Libya. They spoke of the chaos and insecurity reigning in the country, saying that the situation differs from region to region, regarding their degree of allegiance to the Libyan authorities.

Some of them were ransacked and their cars burned.

Tunisian television reported that Libyan fighter jets bombarded some districts of Libya's capital of Tripoli.

It also said that Tunisian border post hospitals in Tataouine, Ras El Jedir and Djerba, are ready to receive casualties from the violence.

Egypt army opens hospitals

Egypt's army has set up two field hospitals on the border with Libya.

The Egyptian army said it had set up camps and the hospitals near the Salum crossing to receive Egyptians returning from Libya, where there have been increasingly bloody battles between Libyan security forces and protesters.

The army also said it would send planes to Libya to evacuate Egyptians once the situation stabilised.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit called on Libya to swiftly issue permits to allow planes to enter Libyan air space so Egypt could collect citizens.