A group of 17 immigrants were picked up safely from off the coast of Misrata on Thursday, the Chief of Staff of the Naval Forces confirmed on Friday.

In coordination with the Libyan Coast Guard, the Turkish navy carried out a rescue operation involving 17 migrants of Asian nationalities, who were stranded at sea northwest of Misrata, Libya's naval force said on Facebook Friday.

It confirmed that the rescued migrants were disembarked at the Khums Naval Base.

"The Migration Control Agency, within the framework of its humanitarian role, will take care of the migrants and complete the procedures for their safe deportation to their countries," Libya's naval force said.

It thanked the Turkish navy for its cooperation to rescue the migrants, despite the difficult weather and high sea waves.

The navy explained that the rescue operation comes within the sovereign tasks of protecting the Libyan coast and providing search and rescue services to migrants stranded in the sea.