Libyan coast guard fires on Ocean Viking rescue ship

A humanitarian rescue mission in the central Mediterranean was interrupted by gunfire from a Libyan coast guard patrol vessel, according to the organization operating the rescue ship Ocean Viking. The Norwegian-flagged vessel, chartered by SOS Mediterranee in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, had just rescued 87 migrants and was en route to Italy when a Libyan patrol boat opened fire in international waters about 40 nautical miles north of Libya. The attack lasted roughly 15 to 20 minutes, caused significant damage to the vessel, and left the crew and migrants shaken, though no one was reported injured.

The Ocean Viking had been responding to distress calls from two previously rescued boats when it encountered the Libyan patrol vessel. Rescue coordinator Angelo Selim described a tense scene: as the Libyan boat closed in, shots began, with windows shattering in the bridge area. Selim said the crew and rescued people were ordered to take cover in a safety room while the captain and navigator remained on the bridge. After the firing subsided, Libyan authorities allegedly warned the ship over radio that if it did not leave the...