The Lebanese Army thwarts a migrant boat with 55 people on board that set out from Arida town in Akkar, north Lebanon, on Sept. 21, 2022. (Photo credit: Twitter/@LebarmyOfficial)
BEIRUT — The Lebanese army on Wednesday stopped an irregular migrant boat with 55 people on board that had set out from the northern Lebanon town of Arida, the army announced in a tweet. The army's Colonel Fadi Abou Eid confirmed the Wednesday incident to L'Orient Today.
The army said that they found the boat at six nautical miles — around 11 kilometers — from the Lebanese shore. The boat was reportedly in poor shape and had 55 people on board, including two pregnant women and two children. The captain of the irregular vessel managed to escape on a skiff before the army arrived.
Naval forces belonging to the army towed the boat towards the shore, and an investigation was launched.
In recent weeks, dozens of makeshift boats have left the Lebanese coast with Europe in sight to escape Lebanon's devastating economic crisis.
When these migration attempts are not prevented by the army, most of these boats — often overloaded and in dilapidated condition — do not reach their intended destinations, instead requiring rescue at sea.
Cyprus’ Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) said on Tuesday that they had rescued hundreds of people who had left Lebanon and were stranded off the island’s coast in two separate irregular migration attempts. The JRCC intervened by sea and air Monday evening to reportedly save more than 300 people aboard a boat. Hours later, the JRCC escorted to shore 177 people who were aboard a separate vessel.
Also Monday evening, the Lebanese Army thwarted a separate irregular sea migration attempt from Lebanon's Arida.