17 African Migrants Dead After 4 Boats Capsize Off Tunisian Coast

At least 17 African migrants and refugees are dead after four boats carrying 120 people heading to Italy capsized off the coast of Tunisia. The boats sank in the Mediterranean Sea near the coastal Tunisian city of Sfax.

The Tunisian navy rescued 98 people who had been on the boats, Ali Ayari, spokesman for the Tunisian National Guard, told reporters.

Dozens of people have drowned off the Tunisian coast in recent months, Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, the death toll after a boat carrying 60 Lebanese and Syrian migrants capsized over the weekend near Tripoli rose to seven. At least 45 people have been rescued and the search is continuing, Tripoli port officials told Reuters.