The Libyan coastguard in cooperation with naval forces has recovered the bodies of 17 migrants and rescued seven others in what was described as one of the most difficult rescue operations off the country’s coast.
The operations were off Tobruk city in eastern Libya, near the border with Egypt.
“After eight days of distress, Almarqab patrol boat, attached to the naval base, successfully rescued a stranded vessel. The operation resulted in the rescue of seven survivors and the recovery of 17 bodies,” the Red Crescent said in a statement posted on Facebook.
It said the rescue operation was “one of the most arduous field missions to date”.
The statement did not disclose the nationalities of the migrants or further details about them.
The Red Crescent added that the rescue and recovery operation “lasted eight hours of continuous work under difficult conditions”. Humanitarian assistance and first aid were provided to the survivors in partnership with the UN refugee agency.
According to the International Organization for Migration, 27,000 migrants were returned to Libya after being intercepted off its shores in 2025, while 1,314 people were reported dead or missing in the Mediterranean.
The organisation also said that more than 5,000 migrants have been returned to Libya after being stopped at sea since the start of January, with 781 migrants recorded dead in the Mediterranean between early January and the end of April this year.
READ: 38 migrants die off Libya coast, including Egyptians, Sudanese, and Ethiopians
