- Title: Libya's coastguard say Spanish aid vessel alerted before warning shots fired
- Date: 9th August 2017
- Summary: AT SEA (AUGUST 9, 2017) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF COASTGUARD USING BINOCULARS TO LOOKING FOR REFUGEES VARIOUS OF CONTROL ROOM SHOWING CAPTAIN OF SHIP AND ASSISTANT USING GPS DEVICE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN COASTGUARD OFFICIAL, NASSER ELKAMODY, SAYING: "We went on a patrol just as usual in order to protect Libyan coasts and regional waters from any trespassers, whether smugglers, illegal fishing ships, smugglers belonging to crime organizations responsible for smuggling fuel, human trafficking, drug smugglers and search operations looking for refugees." VARIOUS OF ELKAMODY AT SHIP CONTROLS VARIOUS OF GUN ON DECK / SUNSET VARIOUS OF COASTGUARDS ON DECK VARIOUS OF COASTGUARD POINTING GUN TOWARDS SEA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) LIBYAN COASTGUARD OFFICIAL, NASSER ELKAMODY, SAYING: "The ship was in the search and rescue zone when we got information from a Tripoli marine base about a migrant ship but when we got there, we were surprised to find a rescue ship, and when we asked them to change their direction and to stay away from our regional waters, they refused, so we attempted to interrogate them again. We approached them and shot rounds in the air, in order to warn them and force them to leave our regional waters and to tell them to leave our search and rescue zone." VARIOUS OF COASTGUARD HOLDING GUN, STANDING NEAR MACHINE GUN ON DECK
- Embargoed: 23rd August 2017 16:02
- Keywords: Libya coastguard Proactiva aid group NGO European Union migrants at sea Mediterranean patrol Libyan waters shots fired
- Location: AT SEA
- City: AT SEA
- Country: Libya
- Topics: Asylum/Immigration/Refugees,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA0016TFRHHJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Libya's coastguard said on Wednesday (August 9) that a migrant aid group operating in the Mediterranean was inside Libyan territory when shots were fired warning them to leave.
An official at the Libyan coastguard said they were alerted about activity on the water, arrived to discover the aid ship stationed inside Libya's territorial waters and then made several radio calls asking them to leave.
However, Spanish aid group 'Proactiva' said their boat 'Open Arms' was patrolling international waters, some 13 miles from the Libyan coast between Tripoli and Zuwara on Monday (August 7).
A spokeswoman for the group sent an audio recording to Reuters in which a man's voice can be heard warning them not to enter Libyan waters or they will be targeted.
The European Union is providing training and funding for the coastguard in Libya, which has become the most common departure point for people trying to reach Europe by sea in the turmoil following the 2011 overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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