MANILA, Philippines — Philippine officials said Wednesday that they have issued a mandatory evacuation order for more than 1,000 Filipinos in the Libyan capital amid escalating fighting, rocket fire and airstrikes. Philippine Foreign Secretary Teddy Locsin Jr. said that despite the order, officials cannot force Filipino workers and their dependents to leave. The evacuation order applies to Filipino workers and their dependents in Tripoli and areas within a 100-kilometre (62-mile) radius of the capital, because of fighting between rival militias for control of the North African nation’s capital. At least two Filipinos have been wounded after several hospitals and residential areas were recently hit by a barrage of mortar fire, he said. The Philippine labour department has also imposed a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Libya due to the escalating violence.

Source: National Post May 01, 2019 05:15 UTC