An Italian fishing boat was reportedly attacked by the Libyan Coast Guard, while sailing in international waters, according to the Head of an Italian ship-owners group.
The Orizzonte fishing boat was situated around 94 miles north of the Libyan city of Misrata, when it was attacked, causing damage to the vessel but no serious injuries.
The Head of the Sicilian ship-owners federation, Fabio Micalizzi stated that the patrol boat responsible for the attack was likely donated by the Italian government.
Micalizzi also mentioned that the gunfire had seriously damaged the ship’s wheel and left the captain in a state of shock.
“This unprecedented act of violence has deeply shaken the Sicilian maritime community, and requires a decisive and immediate response from Italian and international institutions,” the ship-owners federation said in a statement.
The statement also indicated that Micalizzi reserved the right to sue the Libyan authorities, and crew members of the patrol boat responsible for the attack.
A source at Italy’s Foreign Ministry told Reuters that the Libyan authorities claimed that the Italian fishing boat was fishing in their waters.
“An Italian navy unit immediately intervened along with a helicopter to avoid the vessels being impounded, and it was already on its way back to Italy,” the source added.
In 2020, the authorities in eastern Libya released a group of eighteen fishermen, after more than 100 days in prison. The sailors, who include Italian and Tunisian nationals, were accused by local authorities of operating in Libya’s territorial waters. Italy has disputed this.
In a separate incident, the Libyan Coast Guard reportedly fired at two rescue boats belonging to the NGO, SOS Mediterranée in international waters, endangering the lives of dozens of migrants and crew members. This incident took place on 7 June, during a rescue operation in international waters off the Libyan coast.
The rescue vessel, Ocean Viking, was engaged in a mission to aid a boat in distress carrying 11 individuals, 120 kilometers away from Khums, in northwest Libya. This rescue operation was carried out under the coordination of the Italian Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC), despite the Ocean Viking already having 47 rescued migrants onboard from a previous mission.
