20-10-2016

 At 23:20 the boat Tellil sailed from Alzawia refinery to the sea side of west of  Alzawia  in a normal reconnaissance patrol as there are many smuggling actions there, during the patrol they noticed some lights from the north side of Subrata, when they arrived to those lights they found three boats, one of them had a big poster written in it ( sea rescuers), Libyan coastguards observed that those boats are 10 mile in side the Libyan territorial water, therefore he asked to get in to their boat and tried to talk to the captain, but unfortunately the captain couldn't understand Arabic, however there was a woman that speak Arabic (North African's accent), he explained to her that they are in the Libyan territorial water and asked them to get back as this is considered as forbidden thing under the marine's rules and regulations, but she asked for a permission to rescue a boat of immigrants that they were to rescue before the Libyan coastguards arrive without being involved in the operation.

Libyan coastguards explained to those rescuers that avoiding the Libyan territorial again will let to a punishment which is taking the boats to the nearest port or naval base in the area.

The operation was between 02:30 and 03:00 in the morning. What Sea watch organization wrote is incorrect and we demand them to come up with the evidence that prove the accident.

Masoud Abdessamad
Commandant at the coordinating office of Libya coastguard