THE IRISH NAVAL ship LÉ Eithne has rescued yet another batch of desperate migrants in the Mediterranean.
At 5pm today, the Italian Marine Rescue Coordination Centre tipped off the Irish crew about a small, inflatable rubber vessel in the LÉ Eithne’s area of patrol, 40 km off the coast of Tripoli.
The Irish naval officers located the craft, which was “in distress,” and successfully rescued all 113 men, women and children aboard.
The operation concluded at 8pm, after which the crew of the LÉ Eithne resumed their patrol off the coast of Libya, according to a Defence Forces statement tonight.
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Among the migrants were a number of infants, including the one seen in this photo:
Since leaving Cork for the Mediterranean on 16 May, the LÉ Eithne has now completed five successful migrant rescue operations, bringing to safety a total of 756 people.
Their mission in the area is expected to last six months.
Read: “Dehydrated but alive” – Irish Naval ship LÉ Eithne rescue migrants off the coast of Italy>
Pictures: 500 migrants rescued – as LÉ Eithne carries out THREE operations in 24 hours>
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