Tunisian navy rescues 100 migrants, hours after 8 drown

TUNIS – Tunisia's navy rescued almost 100 migrants from a sinking boat off its southeast coast late on Monday, authorities said, hours after eight people being smuggled to Europe drowned in the same stretch of water.

The incidents coincided with the launch of joint patrols by the Tunisian and Italian navies to stem migrant flows and carry out search and rescue operations in the area, the Tunisian Defense Ministry said.

Tunisia's coast has become the launch pad of choice for traffickers transporting migrants from North Africa across the Mediterranean.