Mediterranean tensions rise after aid ship reports gunfire from Libyan-affiliated vessels
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Armed vessels linked to the Libyan coast guard opened fire Monday on a humanitarian rescue ship shortly after it saved about 90 migrants from an overcrowded wooden boat in the Mediterranean, the group operating the vessel said.
Sea-Watch, a German nongovernmental organization, said its ship — the Sea-Watch 5 — came under attack after conducting a rescue at around 0800 GMT on Monday, about 27 miles from the Libyan coast. The approaching vessels “fired live ammunition, first a single shot and then a burst of 10 to 15 rounds, and ordered the ship to stop,” the group said.
A government spokesperson in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, did not respond to a request for comment.
The Libyan coast is one of the main departure points for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa in small boats, with thousands dying during the perilous journey.
Sea-Watch said about 30 crew members and the rescued people were aboard at the time and feared for their lives. The crew issued a mayday call and alerted Italian and German authorities, later sending a second distress call as two vessels linked to the Libyan coast guard were reported nearby.
