TRIPOLI, Libya (AP) — A Libyan official says coast guards have rescued at least 270 migrants off Libya's eastern coast.

Navy official el-Hadi Kheil said Saturday that the Arab and African migrants, who included women and children, were taken to a navy base in the capital, Tripoli.

"We were lost and didn't know where to direct our boat," Omar Yusef, a Sudanese migrant, told The Associated Press, "We called the coast guard and a helicopter came and guided us."

Libya descended into chaos following an uprising in 2011 that toppled and later killed longtime ruler Muammar Qaddafi. It has since become a frequently used perilous route to Europe for those fleeing poverty and civil war in the region.

Libyan authorities have recently stepped up efforts to stem the flow of migrants to Europe.