Over 1,000 migrants rescued off Taranto

(ANSA) - Taranto, June 9 - Roughly 1,300 migrants were ushered to safety at the merchant port of Taranto on Monday after being rescued at sea off the southern coast of Italy on Sunday. Authorities said most of the men, women and children on board were refugees from Syria and Sudan. It was the largest of two migrant landings off Italy's southern coast on Monday, as warmer weather and calmer seas tend to see an increase in migrant traffic to Italy. In southeastern Sicily, some 211 migrants of unknown origin were recovered at the port of Pozzallo, where the night before some 102 migrants were recovered along with the bodies of three people who drowned after their raft collided with a merchant ship. Two people were still missing. Also on Monday, some 529 migrants recovered in various operations over the past few days were being transferred to Palermo.
    On Friday, the Italian Navy said it had saved over 2,500 migrants at sea in 24 hours.
    In each rescue, migrants were saved as part of the the Mare Nostrum (Our Sea) Rescue Operation that Italy launched after around 400 people were killed on two migrant-boat disasters in October.