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Libyan Coast Guard Fires on Rescue Ship Searching for Refugee Boat in Distress

HeadlineAug 26, 2025
Image Credit: SOS Méditerranée

The humanitarian aid group SOS Méditerranée said Monday Libya’s Coast Guard fired at its rescue vessel while the crew aboard searched for a refugee boat in distress in the Mediterranean Sea. The organization charters the Norwegian ship Ocean Viking in collaboration with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. No injuries were reported, but the group said the vessel was damaged. Before the attack, the ship had rescued nearly 100 refugees stranded at sea, many fleeing war-torn Sudan. Libya’s Coast Guard has received funding, equipment and training from the European Union to crack down on refugees.

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