German Navy’s combat support ship Frankfurt am Main has rescued over 500 migrants from the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast.
Rescued migrants are now being brought to the Italian port city Messina, Sicily.
The ship first rescued 293 people in three separate operations 70 kilometers off the Libyan capital Tripoli early Thursday.
A Migrant Offshore Aid Station ship later transferred further 244 people onboard the Frankfurt am Main. As a consequence, the ship is travelling with a total of 537 migrants towards its destination in Italy.
EGV Frankfurt am Main is currently deployed to the EUNAVFOR mission Operation Sophia, aimed at preventing loss of life at sea. The German Navy said that over 15,000 people have been rescued from unseaworthy vessels since the mission began in May 2015.