37 Bangladeshis among 71 migrants rescued on route to Italy

A unit of the Tunisian Maritime Guard has rescued 71 illegal immigrants including 37 Bangladeshi nationals off the coastal city of Sfax in southeastern Tunisia, Tunisian state television reported Tuesday, reports Xinhua News Agency. 

According to Houssem Jbabli, spokesman of the National Guard, the rescue operation took place on Monday evening, when a unit of the naval guard managed to rescue the illegal immigrants from a sinking boat sailing to the Italian coasts.

"This group of illegal immigrants are from Bangladesh Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Somalia, Sudan and Chad," said Jbabli.

The spokesman explained that these illegal immigrants had sailed from the coast of the Libyan city of Zouara.

These illegal immigrants were transferred to the Sfax naval base and handed over to the National Guard in the region to receive legal procedures.