Tripoli, May 28 (RHC)-- The United States is sending a warship with 1,000 Marines into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya to boost the American forces already deployed in the region, a U.S. military official says.

The USS Bataan, equipped with several helicopters, was supposed to be in the area "in a matter of days," in case the U.S. must evacuate its embassy there, said the official on Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The move described as "precautionary" was taken in case Libyas conditions exacerbate and result in the evacuation of the U.S. embassy as Libya has been the scene of militia battles which have throwing the country into anarchy.

The amphibious assault ship will augment the U.S. crisis response force already in the region. Earlier this month, some 250 marines and several tilt-rotor Osprey aircraft were deployed at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily in case they were required to evacuate Americans from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli during unrest there.