File photo shows immigrants frisked by Italian naval forces after being rescued from the sea, off the Italian island of Lampedusa on October 13, 2013.
Italy’s navy has rescued around 400 migrants in the Mediterranean Sea after Rome decided to reinforce its military forces in the region to help avert further shipwrecks that have already drowned hundreds.
On Tuesday, Italian coast guard rescued the migrants from three boats in three separate operations in the Strait of Sicily.
The rescue operations were implemented after Italian Defense Minister Mario Mauro announced that Rome has launched œOperation Mare Nostrum” to tackle the immigration emergency.
Mauro said Rome has deployed three navy ships and 410 marines, two night-vision planes, four helicopters, two custom agency ships, and four coast guard patrol boats in the Mediterranean Sea to deal with the latest waves of refugees and migrants arriving on its coasts.
The move came after two deadly accidents in October claimed the lives of more than 363, who were trying to cross the strait.
On Friday, Italian navy officials said that a boat, carrying around 200 migrants, overturned and sunk about 105 kilometers (65 miles) southeast off the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, a gateway for migrants and refugees into the European Union.
On October 3, another boat carrying some 500 migrants sank off the island, killing more than 300 people. Another 155 people survived the ordeal.
Hundreds have drowned or been suffocated in the often heavily overcrowded boats, usually travelling without sufficient food and fuel on board.
Lampedusa is a primary entry point for tens of thousands of undocumented migrants sailing from Africa. The island is Italy’s southernmost territory and is located about midway between Sicily and Tunisia.
During the past 20 years, an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 migrants have perished during the dangerous crossing, as they travel on badly overcrowded fishing vessels or rubber boats.
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Copyright: Press TV