Over 100 migrants rescued by Italian Navy off Libyan coast

More than 100 migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast by the Italian Navy.

Footage of the rescue operation was released by the Navy on Thursday (December 24). It showed armed officers on board navy vessels, approaching a rubber dinghy filled with migrants.

The officers could be seen trying to calm down the migrants, and throwing life vests over to them, before transferring them onto the navy vessel.

According to a statement, the Navy ship “Fenice” (Phoenix), which was carrying out fishing surveillance activities in the region, intercepted the rubber boat after finding it in difficulty with 104 migrants onboard.

No details of the migrants’ countries of origin were immediately available.

An additional 214 migrants were rescued from other rubber boats in difficulty at sea in recent days, the Navy added in the statement.