Over 130 foreigners, among them dozens of Germans and EU nationals, were flown out of Libya by two German military aircraft in a daring operation in which armed soldiers were reportedly involved.
Several western countries have evacuated their embassy staff and other foreign nationals from Libya in secret military operations and temporarily closed their diplomatic missions there, as the world community ratcheted up pressure on the Gaddafi regime to stop the bloody crackdown on anti-government protesters.
Over 130 foreigners, among them dozens of Germans and EU nationals, were flown out of Libya by two German military aircraft in a daring operation in which armed soldiers were reportedly involved.
The aircraft took off from a NATO base on the Greek island of Crete and after picking up the evacuees at a location in Southern Libya flew back to the base.
"I am very pleased that this evacuation mission was quite successful," German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle told reporters here.
Three German warships dispatched by the country's government to evacuate German and EU nationals are on their way to Libya and they are expected to reach its northern coast in the coming days.
Around 100 German nationals are still left in the trouble-torn country and a crisis management team in the German foreign ministry is currently trying to locate them, Westerwelle said.
Yesterday's rescue operation, without the permission of the Libyan authorities, was approved by chancellor Angela Merkel and defence minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
In view of the deteriorating security situation in Libya, the German foreign ministry issued a new warning against travelling to that country.
The ministry also urged the German nationals still inside Libya to leave the country as soon as possible.
The US, Canada, Britain and France have temporarily closed their diplomatic missions in Tripoli after evacuating their ambassadors and embassy staff, media reports said.
British defence secretary Liam Fox said two Royal Air Force C130 Hercules aircraft landed in the desert near Benghazi in a secret operation and evacuated about 150 workers of British and other nationalities and they were flown to Malta.
British frigate HMS Cumberland, which ferried a large number of British and other foreign nationals to Valetta in Malta some days ago, is on its way back to Benghazi to evacuate "any remaining entitled persons from there," Fox said.
The Canadian embassy in Tripoli also suspended its operation after its ambassador, five embassy staff, 18 other Canadians, 12 British nationals and the Austrian embassy staff were evacuated on board a military aircraft, which had no permission to land in Libya.
In Paris, the French foreign ministry said its embassy in Tripoli was closed down temporarily after its ambassador and the entire embassy staff were evacuated on board a French air force plane.
The aircraft carried 128 foreigners, including 28 French nationals and the entire embassy staff.
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