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Libya

Egyptians, other foreign nationals fleeing Libya

Some 10,000 Egyptians fleeing the violence in Libya are now crowding the border between the two countries, according to Egyptian security sources. Meanwhile, Cairo has aupped security at the border crossing.

Reuters/Muhammad Hamed
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"The army has sent extra units to ensure security along the northern frontier with Libya at the Sallum border crossing and to allow Egyptians fleeing Libya to safely return," the source to news agency AFP.

Some 5,000 Egyptians have already crossed back into their home country.

Egypt has confirmed that two people died from machine-gun fire, although an Egyptian doctor on the border, cited by witnesses, said that 10 Egyptians had been killed.

There are two military and two civilian flights scheduled to take Egyptians out of the country.

"Our main problem now is getting permits to land the planes in Libya, and this represents a huge problem," Egyptian Foreign Minister Abul Gheit told reporters in Cairo after talks with EU foreign policy head Catherine Ashton.

The Egyptian foreign ministry says 1.5 million Egyptians work in Libya.

Other countries, including France, are responding to requests by their citizens to be evacuated.

About 300 Jordanian citizens have already been evacuated.

The Netherlands is sending a plane to evacuate some 100 Dutch in Tripoli, but has also sent a frigate in case the plane is unable to get out.

Greece, a Meditarranean neighbour with Libya, sent private tanker Minerva Antonia to Ra's Lanuf harbour, near Sirte. There have been logistical problems, however, according to  Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis, who said they had numerous evacuation requests.

"To give an example, the people near Benghazi are some 200 kilometres from the airport," he said.

A Bulgarian plane expected to land in the Tripoli area was delayed. There are some 260 Bulgarians in the Tripoli area and 160 in the Benghazi area. Evacuations out of Benghazi and Egyptian authorities have reported that the runways at the Benghazi airport have been destroyed.

Other countries are trying to evacuate their nationals from Tripoli because of this problem.

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