(VOVWORLD) - An air strike on Tuesday hit a detention center for mainly African migrants in a suburb of the Libyan capital of Tripoli, killing at least 40 people and wounding 80.
This is a preliminary assessment and the toll could rise, said emergency service spokesman Osama Ali. The center in the eastern suburb of Tajoura housed around 120 people in a hangar.
Libya is a primary departure point for migrants from Africa trying to reach Italy by boat, but many get picked up by the Libyan coast guard, which wants to stop migration. Thousands of migrants are being held in government-run detention centers.