Malta Rescues 249 Migrants in 24 Hours, While NGO Boats Held Offshore

Malta Rescues 249 Migrants in 24 Hours, While NGO Boats Held Offshore
One of a group of 69 migrants rescued south-west of Malta waits to be processed in Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour, Malta, on Dec. 30, 2018. Reuters/Darrin Zammit Lupi/File Photo
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VALLETTA, Malta—Malta’s armed forces saved 180 migrants in two rescue operations in the Mediterranean on Dec. 31, less than 24 hours after picking up another group of 69.

A patrol boat picked up 28 migrants from a dinghy 71 miles southwest of Malta, and an additional 152 packed aboard a wooden vessel close by—the largest such rescue mission for many months, the army said.