LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The fight against arms smugglers in the Mediterranean, off the Libyan coast, will be enhanced in the coming weeks, as the Irish government confirmed it will take part in a European Union coordinated initiative led by Italian Rear Admiral, Valentino Rinaldi as the new Commander of Operation IRINI. Ireland will send a naval ship to the Mediterranean to assist in the operation targeting arms smugglers to Libya. Operation IRINI (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) is a European naval operation headquartered in Rome. It is tasked with managing the flow of arms into the war-torn North African country.
The deployment of the Irish vessel LE’ William Butler Yeats is expected to begin in June, for several weeks. It will mark the first overseas deployment for the Irish Naval Service since the humanitarian mission, Operation Sophia, in the Mediterranean in 2018-2019.
The main role of the Irish military vessel will be Information, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
In 2014, Libya split in two as rival administrations, based in the east and the west of the country, battled each other for supremacy. Much of the recent fighting has been centered around the capital, Tripoli, and involves a diverse number of militias and rebel groups.
foto: agenziafotogramma.it
(ITALPRESS)
