| Submit your comments on this article |
| Africa North |
| Navy says people-smugglers fired on coastguard vessel |
| 2017-02-01 |
| [Libya Herald] A Libyan coastguard vessel was reportedly shot at from the shore by people-smugglers as it intercepted 700 Naval front man colonel Ayoub Qassem told AFP that, as the coastguard vessel closed with the two wooden vessels onto which the The coastguard reportedly returned fire and the smugglers fled. There were apparently no casualties among either the coastguards or the It seems possible that the people-smugglers may have actually launched the attack from one of their own vessels since Qassem was also quoted as saying that the incident had taken place three nautical miles from the coast. The relationship between the coastguard and the smugglers has at times appeared ambiguous. Last October a vessel with coastguard markings was filmed from a rescue ship attacking a raft with Equally the people smugglers have been prepared to work with the authorities. Last May one gang called the coastguard to warn them that a migrant vessel was sinking. |
| Posted by:Fred |