Aid group says Libyan-linked vessels fired on a migrant rescue ship in the Mediterranean

ROME (AP) — 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.

An Italian coast guard official said they had received a report of the incident. “This appears to be a security incident, for which the relevant bodies and authorities have been informed, including the vessel’s flag state (Germany),” spokesperson Roberto D’Arrigo said, adding the ship was in the search-and-rescue area patrolled by the Libyan authorities when the incident happened.

The search-and-rescue area is where local authorities coordinate responses to people in distress at sea.

The Sea-Watch 5 was later escorted out of the area and was heading north toward the Italian port of Brindisi, which was designated as a place of safety, the coast guard said.

Sea-Watch spokesperson Julia Winkler said the group feared for the safety of those on board and called on European governments to intervene and stop what she described as an attack by forces “paid and legitimized by them.”

The European Union has an agreement with the Libyan government to reduce the number of migrants flowing through the country. It has given Libya 700 million euros ($824 million) since 2015, much of which has gone to reinforce border management.

Sea-Watch said it rescued all the people who were on the boat.

The aid group stressed that tensions have persisted during rescue operations in the area, pointing to similar episodes over the past few years.

Last August, humanitarian group SOS Mediterranee reported that Libya’s coast guard had fired on a vessel it operates, the Ocean Viking, as it searched for a migrant boat in distress in the Mediterranean.

Italy’s migration policies in the central Mediterranean have long relied on cooperation with Libya to curb departures, including support, training and equipment for the Libyan coast guard to intercept migrant boats.

Critics, including humanitarian groups, say the arrangement has fueled tensions with rescue organizations and exposed migrants to abuse when they are intercepted and returned to Libya, while also leading to confrontations between Libyan patrols and NGO vessels.

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Associated Press journalist Sam Magdy in Cairo contributed to this report.