Irish naval vessel carries out three rescue operations in Mediterranean

Irish naval vessel LE Roisin on Saturday carried out three operations in the Mediterranean, involving rescue or transfer of 347 migrants, according to the Irish Defense Forces.

One of the operations involved the rescue of 123 migrants from a 12m long rubber vessel craft, 28 nautical miles northwest of Tripoli.

The other two operations involved the transfer of 101 migrants from an Italian ship, Bettica, and 123 migrants from a German ship, Karlsruhe, to the Irish naval vessel, the Irish Defense Forces said in a statement.

"All three taskings have now been completed and LE Roisin currently has 347 migrants on-board," the Irish Defence Forces said, adding that LE Roisin will bring those migrants to port where they will be administered by the Italian authorities.

Saturday's rescue has brought to 642 the number of migrants rescued by LE Roisin since it began operations on May 12.

Early this month, LE Roisin departed the naval service headquarters in Haulbowline, south Ireland's County Cork to assist the Italian authorities in the humanitarian search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean.

The role of the Irish naval vessel is to provide a search and rescue capability and to undertake humanitarian rescue operations at sea in the Mediterranean, the Irish military said. Endit