Fabio Micalizzi, the president of the Italian Shipowners' Association in Sicily, reported on Tuesday that the Libyan Coast Guard attacked an Italian fishing boat with a machine gun in international waters. He added that the Rome government "may have given the patrol boat to Libya." Micalizzi noted that the fishing boat "Orizzonti" was sailing about 94 miles north of Misrata, Libya, when the attack occurred, which caused damage to the vessel but did not result in serious injuries.
He told Reuters that the attack severely damaged the boat's rudder and that the captain is suffering from shock. The Shipowners' Association stated, "This unprecedented act of aggression has shaken the maritime community in Sicily violently and requires a decisive and immediate response from Italian and international institutions." The statement emphasized that "Micalizzi reserves the right to take legal action against the Libyan authorities and the crew of the patrol boat, which Italy seems to have given to Libya, due to this highly dangerous attack."
A source from the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Reuters that the Libyans attacked the boat on the grounds that it was fishing in their waters.
