Filipinos advised to leave Libya

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government has called for the voluntary repatriation of Filipinos in Libya due to the worsening security situation there, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said today.

The DFA said crisis alert level 3 has been raised over Libya following the recent trip of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario in the troubled country. Del Rosario met with Philippine embassy officials to implement the government's contingency plan.

Under Crisis Alert Level 3, Filipinos in Libya are encouraged to leave the country voluntarily as soon as possible. The Philippine government will shoulder the repatriation cost.

The DFA said an estimated 13,122 Filipinos reside in Libya.

Libya was thrown into crisis after a former general, Khalifa Hifter, attacked Islamist militias that have been blamed for a string of killings in Benghazi. More than 50 people were killed and dozens were wounded in the fighting.