Cyprus Rescues 60 Syrian Migrants from Boat that Departed Lebanon

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
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Cyprus Rescues 60 Syrian Migrants from Boat that Departed Lebanon

Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)
Migrants from Syria seat inside a bus transferring them from Ayia Napa to the Pournara migrant reception center in Kokkinotrimithia outside of capital Nicosia, Cyprus, Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024. (AP)

Sixty Syrian migrants were rescued from a small boat off Cyprus on Wednesday after being stranded at sea for days, including three children and a man who were found unconscious on board, Cypriot authorities said.

Authorities scrambled rescue helicopters and patrol vessels after a merchant vessel reported seeing a small wooden fishing boat about 30 nautical miles off Cape Greco, Cyprus' most southeasterly point.

Cyprus' Joint Rescue Coordination Center said all the migrants were taken to hospital, including the four found unconscious and three who had lower limb fractures. They were all dehydrated, officials said.

Officials said the occupants of the boat, all Syrians, had sailed from Lebanon on Jan. 18.

Cypriot officials said the incident highlighted the unnecessary risks people took with smuggling networks, and said it would raise the issue again at an informal EU meeting of justice and home affairs ministers this week.

Alarm Phone, an advocacy group which issues alerts for migrants in distress, had reported on Sunday that concerned relatives had contacted them on losing contact with a vessel carrying between 50-60 people and which had left Lebanon on Jan. 18.

Cyprus lies about 100 miles (185 km) west of Lebanon and Syria. In recent months it has seen arrivals increase from both countries, fanning concerns in Nicosia of a surge of migration if the tensions in the Middle East engulf the broader region.

"This is unfortunately proof of what we have repeatedly said on the dangers faced by people falling victim to traffickers," Interior Minister Constantinos Ioannou said in a statement.

He said he would reiterate to his EU counterparts Cyprus' position that the bloc should consider declaring parts of Syria safe, which would allow authorities to repatriate people arriving from there.

In calm seas, it can take a small fishing boat 18-20 hours to get from Lebanon to Cyprus, crossing waters that can run up to 3 km deep and in conditions known for changeable winds and sudden swells.



Islamabad Urges Tehran's Cooperation over the Killing of 8 Pakistani Nationals in Southeastern Iran

This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)
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Islamabad Urges Tehran's Cooperation over the Killing of 8 Pakistani Nationals in Southeastern Iran

This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)
This is a locator map for Pakistan with its capital, Islamabad, and the Kashmir region. (AP Photo)

Islamabad has sought Tehran's “full cooperation” over the killing of eight Pakistani nationals in restive southeastern Iran, officials said Monday.

The Pakistani foreign ministry said in a statement the killing happened Saturday in Mehrestan County in Sistan and Baluchistan province, about 230 kilometers (142 miles) from the Pakistan-Iran border, urging a thorough investigation, The Associated Press said.

Pakistan’s Ambassador to Iran, Muhammad Mudassir, wrote on X that the eight were laborers and that Islamabad and Tehran were working on facilitating the repatriation of the bodies.

There has been no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Baluch regions across Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan have faced an insurgency by Baluch nationalists seeking independence for more than two decades.

In Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan, the Baloch Liberation Army, designated a terrorist group by the United States in 2019, often targets security forces and civilians.

Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned on Monday the killings and extended condolences to the Pakistani people and government.

“Iran will spare no effort in identifying the perpetrators and masterminds behind this atrocity and ensuring justice is duly served,” the ministry said in a statement.

Esmail Baqaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the killing “an act of terrorism” and "a criminal act which is fundamentally incompatible with all Islamic principles and legal and humanitarian norms”.

HalVash, an advocacy group for the Baluch people of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan, reported that unknown gunmen opened fire on eight Pakistani citizens who ran a family auto repair business in the city. This couldn’t be independently verified.