TRIPOLI, Nov 26: Libyan navy on Sunday said that a Spanish ship intervened in a rescue operation of illegal migrants on Saturday off Libyan coast.
“When the coast guards vessel approached the migrants’ boat, a foreign bulldozer was found in the area. After declaring the patrol’s identity and mission, it was asked to leave immediately, but it refused to respond,” the Libyan navy said in a statement.
It turned out later that it was a Spanish ship, added the statement. “As a result of this irresponsible action, 10 of the migrants jumped from the patrol’s boat into the water and swam to the Spanish ship that picked them up and refused to respond to our call to hand them over,” the statement said.
The navy accused the Spanish ship of “hindering the operation and almost causing the migrants to drown.” The coast guards patrol managed to rescue 27 migrants, including 3 women, of different African nationalities, the statement revealed.
Libyan navy has complained on numerous occasions of the involvement of foreign rescue vessels, especially Spanish, in migrants rescue operations in Libyan waters. In March, the Italian navy seized the Spanish rescue ship Proavtiva Open Arms for obstructing a migrant rescue operation of the Libyan coast guards.
(AGENCIES)
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