Italian Navy rescues Italian fishing boats attacked by a Libyan patrol boat

A new serious incident in the central Mediterranean.

As reported by several media on 3 February, four Italian fishing boats, while they were about 80 nautical miles north of Tripoli engaged in a fishing trip, were approached by a Libyan patrol boat of the so-called Libyan coast guard, which, according to the Italian fishermen, wanted to take the Italian boats to Tripoli.

Only the intervention of an Italian Navy Agusta Bell SH-212A departed from ITS San Giusto (L 9894), in the area as the flagship of Operation “Safe Mediterranean”Mediterraneo Sicuro”, drove the Libyan patrol boat away.

This is not the first time that such episodes have occurred and not the first time that only the intervention of Italian Navy assets has prevented the seizure of Italian boats.

It should be noted that the patrol boats used by the so-called Libyan coast guard were donated to Tripoli by Italy.