DHAKA: The Italian coastguard launched a massive operation to rescue more than 2,000 migrants in difficulty between the Italian island of Lampedusa and the Libyan coast.

The emergency rescue came on Sunday Italy said it was evacuating staff from its embassy in Libya and suspending operations there, highlighting the worsening security situation in the violence-plagued country.
 
Some 2,164 migrants coming from Libya had to be saved from a dozen boats, Italian media reported, citing the country's emergency services, reports the NDTV.

By Sunday evening around 520 migrants were on board an Italian navy ship, the TGcom24 television station's website said.
 
More than 900 other migrants were picked up by coastguard and customs police boats, while the rest were rescued by various ships in the area.
 
The Italian transport ministry said some of its coastguards had been threatened by four armed men earlier in the day who approached them by speedboat from the Libyan coast.

BDST: 1044 HRS, FEB 16, 2015