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🛒 تسوق الآنLibyan Coast Guard Opens Fire on Migrant Rescue Ship in Mediterranean
Libyan Coast Guard Opens Fire on Migrant Rescue Ship in Mediterranean
Armed Libyan patrol boats opened fire on the German humanitarian vessel Sea-Watch 5 in international waters on Monday, May 11, 2026, shortly after its crew rescued approximately 90 migrants — including Bangladeshi and Egyptian nationals — from distress in the central Mediterranean. The attack, which took place roughly 55 nautical miles north of Tripoli, marks one of the most serious escalations of violence against civilian search-and-rescue operations in recent years and has drawn sharp condemnation from humanitarian organizations and German authorities.
Main Facts and Key Details
According to Sea-Watch, the German NGO operating the vessel, the attack began at approximately 11:00 a.m. local time when a single shot was fired at the rescue ship, followed by a burst of 10 to 15 additional rounds from automatic weapons. Over radio communication, the attackers — who identified themselves as the Libyan coast guard — ordered the Sea-Watch 5 to divert to Libya. When the crew refused, the militia threatened to board the vessel and forcibly return all 90 rescued people and the 30 crew members to Libyan territory.
The crew immediately issued a mayday call and notified both Italian and German authorities. For several hours, the vessel was pursued by Libyan patrol boats, at least one of which was identified as a Corrubia-class patrol boat — a type previously supplied to Libyan authorities by Italy. Two other vessels involved were later identified as the Murzuq 662, a Bigliani-class ship transferred by Italy in June 2023, and the Ras Jadir 648, handed over by Italy in May 2017 as part of the EU-Libya cooperation framework.
Despite the mayday calls, neither Germany, Italy, nor the EU naval mission EUNAVFOR MED IRINI dispatched assistance at sea on the day of the attack. Italian authorities subsequently assigned the Sea-Watch 5 the port of Brindisi — more than 1,000 kilometers and nearly four days of sailing from the rescue location. While en route on May 12, the crew rescued an additional 64 to 67 people in distress in the Maltese search-and-rescue zone.
Reactions and Context
Sea-Watch spokesperson Giulia Messmer condemned the attack in the strongest terms, stating: "The European Union has helped create a violent monster in the form of the so-called Libyan coast guard that it is now either unwilling or unable to control. Since 2016, we have documented more than 75 cases of extreme violence committed by Libyan militias in the Mediterranean." She added that Germany, as the flag state, bears direct responsibility for the safety of the ship and its crew and must treat the attack as "a grave violation of international maritime law."
The European Commission responded at a press conference on May 12, claiming that EU cooperation with Libyan actors "prevented further violence." Sea-Watch spokesperson Julia Winkler called this portrayal "a grotesque distortion of reality" and "nothing short of cynical," noting that without EU political, financial, and operational support, the Libyan coast guard would neither possess boats nor the infrastructure to operate at sea.
The German Ministry of the Interior had already raised the security level for the Libyan search-and-rescue zone to Level 2 — the first time since civilian rescue operations began in the central Mediterranean in 2015 — acknowledging that attacks are carried out with high probability by parts of the Libyan coast guard, which are official EU partners. Sea-Watch filed criminal complaints in Hamburg and Rome in April 2026 following a similar shooting incident in September 2025.
Challenges and Outlook
The incident intensifies longstanding scrutiny of the EU's migration cooperation framework with Libya, under which Italy and the European Union have provided patrol vessels, training, and funding to Libyan coastal authorities for nearly a decade. The United Nations and international human rights organizations have documented systematic abuses — including torture, sexual violence, and kidnappings — against migrants intercepted by Libyan militias and detained in Libyan facilities.
In 2022, the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights filed a criminal complaint against senior EU and member state representatives for alleged crimes against humanity connected to the EU-Libya cooperation. Sea-Watch has called on the European Commission to immediately end all cooperation with the Libyan coast guard, warning that "a failure to impose consequences will be understood as encouragement and will lead to further escalations."
As the Sea-Watch 5 continues its multi-day journey to Brindisi with over 150 rescued people on board, the incident underscores the increasingly dangerous environment facing civilian rescue crews in the Mediterranean and raises urgent questions about the legal and moral accountability of European governments that continue to fund and equip the forces now accused of firing on humanitarian vessels in international waters.
