Lebanese army rescues 99 migrants after 2 boats sink off Tripoli coast

By Wassim Seifeddine

BEIRUT (AA) - The Lebanese army said Saturday that it had rescued 99 migrants, including 98 Syrians and one Lebanese national, after two boats sank off the northern Lebanese coast near Tripoli.

In a statement, the army's Directorate of Guidance said a naval patrol successfully carried out the rescue operation on Friday near the Ramkeen Island.

Noting that the two boats capsized while heading towards the Cyprus islands, it said the migrants were illegally attempting to leave Lebanon.

Ramkeen Island, also known as Fanar Island, is part of the Palms Islands Nature Reserve. The reserve consists of three flat, rocky islands, including Rabbits, Sanani, and Ramkeen.

This rescue comes amid escalating violence in the region, with Israel conducting massive airstrikes across Lebanon since Sept. 23, claiming to target Hezbollah positions. The strikes have killed at least 1,411 people, injured over 3,970, and displaced more than 1.34 million, according to local reports.

The air campaign marks a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, which has intensified following Israel's offensive on Gaza last year. Israel has reportedly killed nearly 42,200 people in Gaza, most of them women and children.
Despite international warnings of a potential regional war, Israel expanded the conflict on Oct. 1 by launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara