Authorities say the Tunisian coast guard fired on three Egyptian fishing boats intercepted in Tunisia’s territorial waters, killing one boat’s captain.
Tunisian Defense Ministry spokesman Taoufik Rahmouni told the official news agency TAP on Sunday that two Egyptian-flagged fishing boats fled after the military fired warning shots Saturday evening off the southern port town of Zarzis.
A third fishing boat refused to comply. Its captain was hit by a bullet and evacuated by the naval vessel, but died before the boat reached port.
Tunisia’s navy regularly intercepts foreign fishing vessels — most often from Egypt or Italy — in its Mediterranean waters and detains and penalizes them. In September 2012, two Egyptian fishermen were killed in similar incident involving 10 Egyptian boats off Tunisia’s southern Kerkennah islands.
Source: The Associated Press
