Moroccan navy saves 59 African migrants off Mediterranean

The Moroccan navy has rescued 59 sub-Saharan African migrants off the Mediterranean sea, the Moroccan army said on Thursday.

While patrolling the Moroccan territorial waters, navy coast guard assisted the migrants' boat when it was running into trouble off the northern city of Nador, it said.

All the migrants, including 5 women, were brought safely to the port of Nador, the same source noted.

The boat sank right after the rescue operation, it added.

In recent months, Morocco has been witnessing a significant hike in illegal immigration attempts.

The Moroccan government said its security services have thwarted at least 54,000 attempts to smuggle illegal immigrants into Europe in the first eight months of 2018, compared with 39,000 attempts a year earlier.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)