Egypt’s naval forces rescue Italian ship in the Mediterranean

CAIRO – 22 June 2017: Egyptian naval forces, in cooperation with Greek authorities, have rescued an Italian ship from sinking off the coast of Marsa Matrouh in the Mediterranean Sea, said Egypt’s armed forces spokesperson Tamer el-Refaei in a statement on Thursday.

The Italian ship, which was carrying six people, sent a distress call to the Egyptian Main Research and Rescue Center of the armed forces, the statement added.

Egyptian, Italian and Greek naval forces as well as coastal guards are on high alert in anticipation of illegal attempts by migrants and asylum seekers from African countries to enter Europe via the Mediterranean.