Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil this evening urged all Maltese nationals in Libya to return to Malta, following yesterday's attack on the Corinthia hotel in Tripoli. 13 Maltese workers were evacuated on a special flight earlier today. 

Addressing Parliament this evening, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said he had called a meeting of the National Security Council earlier today. He was also in contact with the Opposition Leader throughout the day yesterday.

"After discussions with different sources in Libya it seems that yesterday's attack was not directed at Corinthia or Maltese interests," Dr Muscat said. "The government and the Malta Security Service are not in a position to verify the correct version of events and it is not prudent to speculate at this time."

Dr Muscat said there are three main versions of what happened in Tripoli yesterday. The first version is that the attack was carried out by a group linked to the Islamic State to destabilize Libya and disrupt peace talks. The second version is that this was an attempt to assassinate the Tripoli Prime Minister, who frequently holds meetings at the hotel. The Tripoli PM is not recognized by the international community. The third version is that the attack was carried out by a group linked to Al Qaeda against a security company that has an office at the hotel.

The Prime Minister said reports indicate that the terrorists were not Libyan. One of them was captured alive. "At this point in time we should not speculate because of the sensitivity of the situation in Libya."

Dr Muscat said the number of victims is most probably 14. Four were Tajikistani nationals who worked with a Libyan airline. One was an American working for a security company and the rest were Libyan. There were no Maltese among the victims. 9 Maltese workers were evacuated to safety immediately while two others chose to remain on site since they are involved in running the hotel. 

The Prime Minister said these 11 workers, along with 13 other Maltese nationals who were in Palm City were taken to a more secure site on Tuesday evening. 13 were flown to Malta today aboard a private flight.

The 11 Corinthia employees who chose to stay in Libya did so at their own choosing. The Prime Minister said every Maltese citizen who has remained in Libya has done so against the advice of the government.  The government is willing to help any who chose to quit Libya but it cannot force anyone to do so.  “Our advice for Maltese to leave Libya is based on the unstable situation and the fact that we cannot exclude other attacks on foreign interests in Libya.” 

Dr Muscat said Europe must show that it understands the situation and is willing to act. A failed Libyan state could lead to repercussions, including on migration.

Dr Muscat said the government is working closely with UN representative Bernardino Leon in his difficult mandate. " If the Libyan community asks, the international community should send a mission to help restore order and disarm the militias."

He also said the Malta police and armed forces are directing their resources according to the current situation. The Prime Minister noted that there was a bipartisan approach to all of this.

Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil condemned the Tripoli attack. "Our first thoughts are with the victims." He confirmed that the Prime Minister kept him in the loop at all times.

"The fight against terrorism should be a political priority. The Opposition is offering its full support to the government," he said. Dr Busuttil said the Opposition was satisfied that the government took all necessary measures to repatriate the Maltese Corinthia workers. He urged all Maltese in Libya to return to Malta immediately.

The PN Leader said that, in view of the ISIS threat, Malta should not take anything for granted when it came to national security and terrorism. These should be considered as political priorities.

"There is no doubt that Libya has descended into anarchy, which can be a breeding ground for crime and terrorism. This is in no one's interest, certainly not in ours." The Opposition, he said, is calling on the government to double its efforts to put the Libya situation higher on the EU's agenda.