One migrant dead, 97 rescued off Tunisian coast: Ministry

TUNIS, Tunisia - A migrant was found dead and 97 others rescued off the country's coast in a Tunisian Maritime Guard operation, the Ministry of Defense said Monday.

Three illegal attempts were foiled by the rescue operation starting late Sunday off the country's southeastern coast, said a ministry statement.

The first attempt was foiled off the island of Kerkennah in the southeastern province of Sfax, where naval units recovered the body of an African immigrant and rescued 68 others of various nationalities.

Meanwhile, 15 Tunisians aged between 20 and 40 "were rescued from a sinking boat sailing to the Italian coasts," it noted.

On the same night, Tunisian maritime guards also rescued 14 immigrants of different nationalities.

More than 2,000 Tunisian migrants have managed to reach the Italian coasts in the first five months of this year, according to the latest figures released by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights.

Thousands of migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean annually as Tunisia is one of the main points of access to Europe through irregular channels. - XINHUA