The Italian Navy’s frigate ITS “Grecale” (F571) yesterday evening intervened to rescue an Italian fishing boat “Salvatore Mercurio” hit by shots fired by a patrol vessel of the Libyan Coast Guard.
The intervention of the Italian unit (and probably its helicopter) drove the Libyan lookout away. A team of marines from the San Marco brigade was helicoptered to the fishing boat to secure it.
The whole affair happened off the eastern Libyan coast, tens of miles inside international waters. the Italian fishing boat is now underway south of Crete.
Similar attacks on Italian fishing boats by the so-called Libyan Coast Guard have already taken place in the past.
ITS Grecale was in the area as part of the IRINI mission.
Interesting thread (in Italian by Sergio Scandura)