25 migrants including a Moroccan national were rescued, on Wednesday, 150 kilometers away from the coast of Sfax, said the Tunisian Ministry of Defense on its official website. They were spotted at dawn, when the harsh weather broke down their boat, according to the same source.
Seven Libyans, seven Bengalis, five Sudanese, three Egyptians, a Tunisian, a Moroccan and a Chadian national were among the rescued migrants. The ministry said that the 25 migrants left Monday the coast of Zouara (Libya), with the goal of reaching Italy. Finally, they were evacuated to the naval base of Sfax, and then handed over to the Tunisian National Guard to initiate the legal proceedings.
In less than a week, the Tunisian Coast Guard has spotted daily migrants at the Gulf of Gabes. On the eve of this rescue operation off Sfax, four people aged between 26 and 35 were questioned by the police on Tuesday in the governorate of Gabes. They said they had planned to reach Italy by boat.
In a statement dating back to January the 14th, the Tunisian Interior Ministry announced, that the National Guard of Sfax had arrested 50 people who were on a boat. They were all from Tataouine and aged between 19 and 23 years. According to the investigation, they planned to go to the island of Kerkennah, reaching for Italy.