Italian fishing boat seized by armed men off Libya

A Sicilian fishing cooperative has said a boat with seven crew members has been taken over by armed men 40 miles off Libya and is being taken to the Libyan port of Misrata.

Francesco Mezzapelle, a spokesman for the group, said port authorities were alerted early on Friday by another Italian fishing boat in the area, and the cooperative president was in touch with Libyan officials and the Italian foreign ministry.

Mezzapelle said the armed men did not appear to be from the Libyan military. The crew comprised three Sicilians and four Tunisians. There were no reports of injuries.

Mezzapelle said there had been a dozen similar seizures since 2005 when Libya asserted that its territorial waters extended more than 70 miles offshore, well beyond international agreements.