More than 1,300 migrants brought to Sicily

Rome: More than 1,300 migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa and Syria, arrived in Sicily on Saturday, after having been picked up in the Mediterranean, the Italian coastguard said.

Some 785 migrants -- including 133 women and 27 children -- arrived in Palermo after being picked up off the Libyan coast by the Norwegian cargo ship Siem Pilot, which is part of EU border security operation Triton.

Another 468 were taken to the southeastern Sicilian town of Pozzallo aboard the Irish navy patrol ship Le Niamh.

Then 102 others, including two pregnant women, were taken to the port of Trapani in western Sicily. Five of the rescued men had to be taken to Trapani hospital for treatment of injuries, sources said without specifying the nature of their wounds.

Italy and Greece have been hard pressed to handle a massive increase in migrants fleeing conflicts and poverty in Africa and the Middle East.

More than 1,900 migrants have died this year making the perilous journey across the Mediterranean to Europe, out of around 150,000 people who have made the crossing, the International Organization for Migration said earlier this month. (AFP)