Italian Navy rescues fisherman reportedly shot off Libya
Posted May 6, 2021 10:43 am.
Last Updated May 6, 2021 10:44 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
MILAN — An Italian Navy ship has rescued a crew member of an Italian fishing boat reportedly injured by warning shots fired by the Libyan Coast Guard, Italian media said Thursday.
The Libyans opened fire near two fishing boats, the Aliseo and the Artemide, in the central Mediterranean Sea, around 75 miles north of the Libyan city of Misurata, Corriere della Sera reported. The two vessels have not been sequestered by the Libyans.
Calls to the Italian Navy and Defence Ministry were not immediately answered.
Italian fishing boats frequently run up against disputes over territorial waters.
Seven Italian fishing boats escaped an attempt by a Libyan militia boat to capture them near Benghazi, Corriere reported. The Aliseo had escaped an attempt by Tunisian authorities to sequester it in 2017. And 18 fishermen were kept in Libya for 108 days, before their release last December following a visit to Benghazi by then-Premier Giuseppe Conte and Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio.
The Associated Press
