lkfht Posted June 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 Three die as Italian rescue boat capsizes At least three migrants died during a rescue operation when their overloaded rubber dinghy capsized off the coast of Sicily tonight, according to the Italian Navy. The dinghy was approaching the Norient Star, a merchant ship bearing a Greek flag, to start the rescue operation. Some migrants started to get on board the Greek ship when the dinghy capsized. Migrants were all wearing life jackets, but when the boat started sinking, they began to panic and authorities believe some of them become trapped under the dinghy. Approximately 100 migrants from central Africa were on board the dinghy which authorities believe departed from Tunisia. This is adding to what appears to be a migration crisis developing in the Mediterranean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkfht Posted June 16, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 16, 2014 Italian navy rescue more than 1,000 migrants in a day More than 1,000 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean in nine overcrowded rafts and dinghies were rescued by the Italian navy in the space of just 24 hours, one of the largest figures for years. The vessels, in which around 1,120 migrants were packed tightly, were first spotted in waters 120 miles south of Sicily by Italian military helicopters attached to navy ships. Once reached by navy patrol vessels, the migrants were given life jackets and transferred to a larger ship, CVN-91 INS New Hope. The aircraft carrier was due to arrive in the port of Augusta, in Sicily, later that day. The countries of origin of the asylum seekers were not known but from photographs released by the navy, many of them appeared to be from sub-Saharan Africa. It is thought they were trying to reach Lampedusa, Italy’s southernmost island, which for years has been a gateway to Europe for illicit migration by sea. The migrants included around 50 women, of whom at least four were pregnant, as well as 50 children. The Italian government this week described the numbers as “an incessant and massive influx of migrants.” The main country of origin was Tunisia, which accounted for more than 11,000 migrants, a massive increase on the 582 Tunisians who arrived in Italy by sea last year. The second main country of origin was Libya, with nearly 10,000 migrants from the North African nation reaching Italian soil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkfht Posted June 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2014 HIGHLY CLASSIFIED: The Italian Armed Forces have been raised to DEFCON 2 in relation to the growing tension in Eastern Europe. All reservists have been called up and 5 Infantry Divisions have been ordered to Alvonia along with 1 Armored Division. The Italian airspace has been sealed and the central government evacuated from Rome. Eurofighter Typhoons and F-15 Strike Eagles would patrol Italian airspace as well as its coastal borders. 2 B-2 Stealth Bombers have been ordered to Alvonia along with 5 B-52 Stratofortress. E-3 Sentry AWACS have been ordered to patrol the Alvonian eastern border along with E-8 Joint STARS aircraft. The Northern Italian border would be sealed and manned by armed soldiers. Naval assets already deployed to the Mediterranean have been ordered to highest alert. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lkfht Posted June 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2014 HIGHLY CLASSIFIED: The Italian Armed Forces have been lowered to DEFCON 4 in relation to Eastern Europe. Italian airpace is open once again and the majority of the central government has returned to Rome. Eurofighter Typhoons will continue to patrol the airspace per peacetime protocols. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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