AFM cannot 'confirm or deny' claims of migrant boat shooting in Malta SAR
Italian Coast Guard launches an investigation as three injured people were found on board
Updated 5.28pm with statement by the Italian Coast Guard.
The Armed Forces of Malta said Monday that it could not "confirm or deny" claims that a boat carrying migrants was shot at on Sunday, but added that a fishing vessel that it monitored showed no signs of distress.
The vessel proceeded to Italy and was intercepted on Monday morning near the Italian coast, an Armed Forces of Malta spokesperson said.
Meanwhile the Italian Coast Guard said it had launched an investigation after three migrants were found to require urgent medical care after a fishing boat carrying migrants was intercepted 40 miles off Pozzallo.
Those on board said their boat was attacked 100 miles southeast of Malta, in waters under the responsibility of the Maltese SAR.
Maritime emergency hotline NGO Alarmphone claimed on Sunday that one person had died after a boat carrying 113 migrants, including women and children, was targeted by Libyan authorities while inside Malta’s Search and Rescue (SAR) zone.
The NGO later said that people on board claimed that a second person had also been killed.
An image of the vessel's location shared by NGO Alarmphone on Sunday.On Monday, the AFM responded to questions about the incident, saying it could neither confirm nor deny the alleged shooting incident.
It said, however, that it had deployed a verification mission about the incident “upon receipt of information located in international waters”. That mission involved aerial monitoring using both AFM and Frontex aircraft as well as diverted sea vessels.
“A fishing vessel was eventually located navigating on a steady northerly course in international waters. No visible commotion was noticed onboard whilst being monitored and meanwhile throughout the whole period RCC Malta tried to contact the vessel and did not receive any distress calls from this vessel,” the AFM spokesperson said.
“The boat continued to proceed towards its intended destination and was intercepted this morning near the Italian coast,” the spokesperson added.
Italian Coast Guard rescues 140 migrants - three were injured
Meanwhile, the Italian Coast Guard said that three injured migrants were rescued from a fishing boat which had left from Libya and was intercepted 40 miles off Pozzallo, Sicily. It said the boat carried 140 people.
"According to statements made by the people on board, the fishing boat was the subject of an armed attack about 100 miles southeast of Malta, in waters under the responsibility of the Maltese SAR," the Coast Guard said.
"Investigations are currently underway on the dynamics of the crossing and on what really happened."