Libya’s coast guard fired upon a vessel belonging to a humanitarian group as it searched for a migrant boat in distress in the Mediterranean Sea, the nonprofit said on Monday.
The attack, which took place the day before, appeared to be one of the most violent involving a European rescue ship and the Libyan coast guard, which receives training, equipment, and funding from the European Union.
SOS Mediterranee said the confrontation took place about 40 nautical miles north of the Libyan coast. No casualties were reported, although the group said the vessel sustained significant damage.
“This incident was not only an outrageous and unacceptable act,” SOS Mediterranee said in a statement. “This is far from isolated: the Libyan Coast Guard has a long history of reckless behavior that endangers people at sea, flagrantly violates human rights and shows total disregard for international maritime law.”
“We demand a full investigation into the events of yesterday afternoon and that those responsible for these life–threatening attacks be brought to justice,” said Soazic Dupuy, director of operations at SOS Mediterranee.
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