Frigate heads for Libya to help with evacuation of Dutch nationals

The Dutch navy frigate HMS Tromp is on its way to Libya to possibly help evacuate Dutch nationals caught up in the anti-government protests, the Telegraaf reports.


The ship was on its way to join Nato’s anti-piracy mission off the coast of Somalia but is being temporarily diverted.
A foreign ministry spokesman said the presence of the ship would mean evacuations could take place even if Libyan air space is closed. The Tromp is due to arrive on Friday.
A military transport aircraft took off from Eindhoven around 14.00 hours after being given permission to land in Tripoli to bring back some of the estimated 125 Dutch nationals in the country.
According to Nos television, a number of them don’t want to leave because they have a Libyan partner.
The foreign ministry website is calling on Dutch nationals in Libya to make their way to the airport but says there is no guarantee the flight will be able to take off.
‘Take into account the fact you may have to spend the night at the airport,’ the statement says. ‘Make sure you have enough food and water. If we cannot take off on Tuesday evening, we will try again on Wednesday.’

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation