The Libyan navy announced on Monday that it had rescued 158 migrants from African countries on board a rubber boat that crashed 26 nautical miles north of Al-Khoms in the country's western region.

"The rescue operation was carried out by a coast guard patrol from the central sector" said Navy spokesman Brigadier General Ayoub Qassem.

"The immigrants are from Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger, Cameroon, Guinea, Ghana, Zambia and Senegal," he said, including 115 men, 34 women and 9 children.

He pointed out that the migrants waiting to be handed over to immigration authorities after medical and humanitarian assistance is provided to them.