Tunisian coastguards rescue 83 African immigrants heading for Italy

TUNIS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- Tunisian coastguards rescued 83 African immigrants who were attempting to reach Italy on a boat which earlier left the Libyan coast, Radio Mosaique FM reported Tuesday, quoting an Interior Ministry communique.

The rescue operation occurred about 52 miles (about 84 km) off the fishing port of Zarzis in Libyan territorial waters, and the immigrants (70 Eritreans, 4 Sudanese, 5 Somalis, 3 Pakistanis and a Syrian man) were taken to a national guard transit shelter in the town of Ben Guerdene in southern Tunisia, read the communique.

In a related event, almost 100 African immigrants travelling from Libya were arrested on the Kerkennah islands, off the city of Sfax, for their alleged intention of immigrating illegally to Italy.

Most of them, including a large number of women, are from Somalia, Shems FM reported on Tuesday, adding that they will be extradited to their countries of origin.

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