More than 900 refugees rescued off Libya including 25 children and seven pregnant women

The Libyan coastguard has rescued more than 900 African and Asian refugees attempting to reach Europe, a navy spokesman said on Saturday.

"A coastguard patrol from Zawiya (west of Tripoli) intercepted five inflatable boats and a wooden vessel carrying 906 migrants at dawn on Friday," General Ayoub Qassem said.

He added that 25 children and 98 women, including seven who were pregnant, were among those rescued.

"One of the rubber boats was holed and on the point of sinking, while the wooden one did not have a motor," he said.

People traffickers have exploited the chaos in Libya since a 2011 uprising toppled and killed strongman Moammer Gaddafi to boost their lucrative but deadly trade.

Thousands have perished in recent years attempting the crossing.