The ship was first shelled from the shore as it was approaching the area, the Turkish ministry said Monday. It was then attacked twice from the air as it was trying to leave the area.
The MV Tuna 1, sailing under the flag of Cook Islands, was carrying a cargo to the Libyan port from Spain and came under attack when it was in international waters, the ministry said. The man killed in the incident was the ship’s third officer.
The ministry condemned the assault, but did not specify who was behind it.
"We condemn strongly this contemptible attack which targeted a civilian ship in international waters and curse those who carried it out," it said.
A Libyan military spokesman responded to condemnations from Ankara, saying the vessel came under attack after ignoring a warning not to approach the city of Derna, some 145 km west of Tobruk.
"A ship was shelled about 10 miles from Derna coast. We have warned before about approaching Derna port," Mohamed Hejazi, a spokesman for forces with Libya's internationally recognized government, told Reuters. He confirmed one member of the crew was killed, but said that only one other sustained injuries.
A military source also told Reuters the vessel caught on fire and was towed in Tobruk terminal.
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Libya remains in turmoil after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi in the popular uprising of 2011 and NATO bombing campaign. At the moment, two separate governments both claiming to be legitimate exist.
The country has been riven by factional fighting and impoverished by the economic decline that followed the hostilities. It has also become a hotbed of international terrorism, with Iraq and Syria-based group Islamic State sending its fighters to Libya.
Back in January, a Libyan warplane attacked a Greek-operated oil tanker anchored off the coast. The attack by forces loyal with the internationally-recognized government of Libya was motivated by factions fighting for control over Libya’s oil export. Two crewmembers of the ship were killed.
http://rt.com/news/257393-turkey-libya-ship-attack/
11/5/15
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UN mission in Libya condemns deadly attack on Turkish ship...
ReplyDeleteThe United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has today condemned an attack against a Turkish vessel off the Libyan coast which caused the death of one sailor and injuries to others.
In a statement released today, the Mission said it regretted the loss of life and called for a thorough investigation of the circumstances surrounding the attack.
The statement continued, urging all military actors in Libya to exercise caution in the conduct of their operations and to undertake all necessary measures to avoid targeting civilians and civilian objects and facilities in the ongoing conflict.
un.org