File: Rescued migrants on the Mediterranean on 5 October

Italy coast guards said on Friday that rescuers pulled almost 2,000 migrants from 11 boats that were attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea and enter Italy.

Italian, British and Spanish navies took part in the 11 separate rescue operations on Thursday, as well as a ship operated by a non-governmental organisation, Doctors Without Borders, the coast guards said.

The figure was said to be the largest number of migrants saved en route to Italy since November.

The flow of migrants heading to Italy has slowed sharply in recent weeks, partly because of poor weather.

Many of the migrants come from sub-Saharan Africa and sail from Libya in boats provided by smugglers.

More than 140,000 migrants have reached Italy this year out of a total of almost 900,000 who have arrived in Europe, most of them entering via Greece.

*(Reuters/NAN)