Tripoli, March 21: An Italian vessel and its 11 crew members detained in the port of Tripoli have been released amid the escalating rush of events in crisis-hit Libya.
“We can confirm that our Offshore Support Vessel Asso Ventidue held in the port of Tripoli until 1 p.m. today is now leaving the port and heading north-westwards with all of the 11 crew members and people onboard,” Reuters quoted the ship operator as saying on Sunday.
Augusta Offshore, the tug’s operator, stated that the vessel is now heading north-westwards with all of its crew members.
The Italian tugboat with 8 Italians, two Indians and a Ukrainian onboard was seized in Libya at around 1600 GMT on Saturday.
The detention came hours before French fighter jets fired the first salvos in the invasion of Libya, carrying out several strikes in the opposition-controlled east as part of efforts to muscle out pro-Gaddafi forces, who hammered Benghazi in the early hours of morning on Saturday.
Initially, there was widespread speculation that the crew members have been taken hostage as Italian aircraft were preparing to join the Western forces’ aerial strikes against Libya.
Italy has contributed seven military bases to Western forces as part of efforts to enforce a UN-mandated no-fly zone over the North African country.
On Sunday, six Danish F-16 fighters took off from an air force base in Sigonella of Sicily, Italy.
The destination of the F-16 fighter jets, which arrived in Italy on Saturday, was unknown, but some analysts say the Western forces are gearing up for their second round of military strikes in Libya.
——–Agencies