Libya: Libyan, Italian navies rescue 1,500 migrants off Libyan coasts in 24 hours

Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libyan and Italian naval units rescued a total of 1,500 illegal migrants off the Libyan coasts in the last 24 hours, according to local reports.

The reports said the Libyan navy succeeded in rescuing 350 illegal migrants on Tuesday while the Italians announced they carried out several rescue operations on Monday during which they delivered 1,150 migrants to safety.

The official spokesperson for the Libyan Navy, Col. Ayoub Gacem, said that patrols carried out by the coastal guards rescued migrants in distress in a routine search on Tuesday.

He called the Libyan authorities to take good care of the migrants and take judicial measures on them, either by accommodating them or by deporting them.

The Italian navy said in a communiqué that 1,150 people were rescued in the Mediterranean Sea on Monday after 11 different and coordinated operations off the Libyan coasts.

More than 430,000 migrants and refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea since January, out of which 2,750 people were reported missing, according to the Organization of International Migration (OIM).
-0- PANA BY/JSG/MSA/VAO 29Sept2015