108 illegal migrants rescued, 5 bodies found off Tunisian coast

TUNIS: Tunisia's Maritime Guard rescued 108 illegal migrants and recovered five bodies off the country's coast, Tunisia's National Guard said.

"The rescue operation took place late Tuesday off the country's central-eastern coast," National Guard spokesman Houcemeddine Jbabli said in a statement on Wednesday.

The rescued migrants, who were sailing to the Italian coasts, included 104 African migrants, the statement added.

More than 2,000 Tunisian illegal 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 illegal migrants attempt to cross the Mediterranean annually as Tunisia is one of the main points of access to Europe through irregular channels, Xinhua news agency reported.