Tunisia rescues 612 migrants, recovers 18 bodies in Mediterranean operations

Tunisia’s national guard rescued 612 migrants and recovered 18 bodies in multiple overnight operations off the country’s Mediterranean coast, officials said Monday.

The rescue missions took place in the Sfax region after several boats carrying migrants capsized or experienced mechanical failures. According to authorities, all those involved were from sub-Saharan African countries attempting to reach Europe.

Images released by the national guard show women and children among the survivors, some visibly exhausted and clinging to large buoys. One image captures a woman struggling to lift a seemingly lifeless child onto a rescue boat.

The national guard reported thwarting several unauthorized migration attempts. Tunisia, alongside Libya, has become a major departure point for migrants attempting the perilous journey to Europe.