Charity Rescue Ship Targeted by Libyan Coastguard During Migrant Rescue Operations

A rescue ship operated by a charity faced machine gunfire from the Libyan coastguard as it attempted to assist a sinking migrant vessel in the Mediterranean Sea, roughly 40 miles north of Libya's shore. The incident occurred outside Libyan territorial waters while the Ocean Viking crew, which included British members, was responding to a distress signal after having already saved 87 individuals from two separate boats. Without warning, armed officers aboard a Libyan patrol boat opened fire as the rescue vessel approached the third emergency signal, despite prior knowledge of the operation by Libyan officials.

Lucille Guenier, the ship's communications officer, recounted the terror felt among the crew, stating that they were familiar with such intimidation tactics but were caught off guard by the armed aggression. Angelo Selim, the search and rescue coordinator on the nonprofit vessel, described hearing the gunfire and initially being confused until bullets shattered nearby windows, prompting everyone onboard to take cover. The refugees on board, along with the crew, secured themselves in a safety room while Selim and the captain stayed on the bridge. This incident represented one of the most violent encounters between a European rescue operation and the Libyan coastguard, which receives funding and training from the European Union, including a patrol boat recently gifted by Italy.

While the shooting eventually ceased, the threats from the coastguard did not. The patrol officers warned the Ocean Viking over the radio in Arabic that they would kill everyone onboard if the ship did not vacate the area. In response, SOS Mediterranee condemned the incident as not merely an offensive action but part of a disturbing trend of reckless behavior by the Libyan coastguard that jeopardizes lives at sea and blatantly breaches human rights and international maritime laws.