Libyan Navy Spokesman: No Violation of Libyan Territorial Waters by Italian Vessels.

Tripoli, 12 January 2017(Lana) The Libyan Navy Official Spokesman Col. Ayub Gassem has dismissed media reports of violation by Italian navy vessels of Libyan territorial waters, urging the media to verify their sources. The Libyan naval forces facilities did not detect any undeclared movements by the Italian navy in the designated area off the Gulf of Sirte to the western Libyan Sea borders, Gassem told the Libyan news agency. 'What was detected in fact was an Italian ship 'San Georgio' which is operating within the 'Sofia Force' that approached the Libyan coast before entering the Libyan territorial waters as part of the training agreement between the Libyan and Italian navy forces, he said. Due to bad weather, the ship remained in the vicinity of the Libyan territorial waters with knowledge of the Libyan navy, the Defence Ministry and the Presidency Council, he added. =Lana=