Germany says continuing to take part in Sophia op

(ANSA) - Berlin, January 23 - The German defence ministry said Wednesday Berlin was still taking part in the EU's Sophia anti migrant trafficking operation, which it continued to support, after reports Tuesday it had backed out due to Italy's hard line.
    "Germany is still participating in the mission and we will continue to support it," said a defence ministry spokesperson at a press conference in the German capital.
    He said Berlin was asking what the mission's tasks should now be in the run-up to its mandate ending in March.
    In the last few months, he said, the mission had no longer carried out "the tasks laid out by the original mandate", that is, combating people traffickers.