Italian special forces have stormed a cargo ship sailing from Turkey to France after about 15 people armed with knives attempted to hijack the vessel. The asylum seekers, 13 men and two women, mainly from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq, had allegedly sneaked undetected on to the roll-on, roll-off cargo ship, named Galatea Seaways, in the hope of reaching Europe. Two navy helicopters as well as coastguard and financial police boats were involved in the operation, the Italian ministry said. “The ship has now been recaptured and the entire 22-man crew of the Turkish ship is safe,” the ministry said. The cargo ship was eventually anchored just outside the port of Naples, according to the MarineTraffic ship tracking website, and there was a heavy police presence at the port, local media reported.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 12, 2023 07:05 UTC