Libyan refugees rescued by the Italian navy
Italy has closed its embassy in Tripoli and sought assistance from United Nations due the worsening military conflict in Libya.
"The deteriorating situation in Libya made it necessary to close [the embassy]," said Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni in a report by RT.com.
Gentiloni also ordered the evacuation and transfer of about 100 embassy staff back to Italy by ship.
The continuing conflict can be traced back to the 2011 Libyan civil war that ended the reign of despot Muammar Ghaddafi. Two rival governments are mobilizing their own military forces for the sole right to rule over Libya.
The conflict has been further worsened by the destabilizing presence Islamic extremist groups such as the Islamic State (IS).
Italy was one of the first countries directly affected by the intractable Libyan conflict. Thousands of Libyans have fled to Italy by boat.
On Feb. 15, the Italian coast guard rescued 12 boats carrying 2,200 migrants that were stranded between the Libyan coast and the Italian island of Lampedusa.
Four armed smugglers tried to interfere with the rescue mission and threatened the coast guard, according to a report by RT.com.
"The smugglers tried to negotiate to get the migrants' boats back" said Transport Minister Maurizio Lupi.
Lupi said this was another terrible development in human trafficking in the Mediterranean.
The smugglers eventually took off, leaving all the migrants safely in the hands of Italian authorities. Libya and Italy are separated by a narrow stretch of the Mediterranean Sea.
The conflict in Libya has also resulted in an increase in human trafficking within the region.
