Libya seizes oil tankers and crew after shootout at sea

http://www.france24.com/en/20170430-libya-seizes-oil-tankers-crew-after-shootout-sea

30 April 2017 - 11H00
Libya seizes oil tankers and crew after shootout at sea
TRIPOLI (AFP) -
Libya has seized two foreign-flagged oil tankers and detained their crews for allegedly smuggling fuel after an hours-long gunbattle off the west coast, authorities said.The coastguard spotted the vessels on Thursday night two kilometres (1.2 miles) off Sidi Said near Zuwara, a town on the central coast, the authorities said.
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"The Libyan coastguard boarded the two tankers, one flying the Ukrainian flag, the Ruta, and the other, the Stark, flying the Congolese flag," said General Ayoub Qassem. "The coastguards had monitored them from afar and waited until Friday morning to act," he told AFP.

Qassem said the oil traffickers were heavily armed and were supported by small boats. They had put up fierce resistance, but the tankers were eventually seized by the Libyan authorities, "after more than three hours of exchange of fire". On several occasions, "boats with armed men were returned... and opened fire on the coastguards" using Kalashnikovs and heavy machineguns, he said.
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The crews of the two vessels were taken to Tripoli where they are to face prosecution.
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