The Libyan Coast Guard opened fire on the humanitarian vessel Ocean Viking in international waters on August 24, 2025. The incident happened at 3:03 p.m. local time, around 40 nautical miles north of the Libyan coast.

At the time, the Norwegian-flagged rescue ship, chartered by SOS MEDITERRANEE in partnership with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), was searching for a boat in distress after being cleared by the Italian Coordination Center to interrupt its route to port.

The Ocean Viking rescued 87 people in two operations on August 23–24. Many of them were from war-torn Sudan. According to the group, a Corrubia-class patrol vessel belonging to the Libyan Coast Guard approached the Ocean Viking and ordered it to leave the area and head north.

The instruction was first given in English and then repeated in Arabic. The message was translated on board by a cultural mediator, and the Ocean Viking confirmed to the patrol vessel that it was complying.

BREAKING
Aujourd’hui à 15h, l’#OceanViking a été délibérément et violemment attaqué dans les eaux internationales par les garde-côtes libyens qui ont tiré des centaines de coups de feu sur notre navire. Les 87 survivants et membres d’équipage à bord n’ont pas été blessés. Nous… pic.twitter.com/EpkUPzgSo5

— SOS MEDITERRANEE France (@SOSMedFrance) August 24, 2025

Despite this, the patrol boat suddenly opened fire without warning. Two men on board the Libyan vessel began shooting at the Ocean Viking, and gunfire continued for at least 15 to 20 minutes.

Crew members reported that bullets were deliberately aimed at the ship’s bridge, where navigation and piloting take place. Windows shattered, antennas were destroyed, and bullet holes were left at head height. Several bullets also struck lifesaving equipment, including the ship’s three fast rescue boats (RHIBs). Four windows on the bridge were destroyed, and critical equipment was damaged.

The humanitarian crew and the rescued people feared for their lives. Survivors and non-essential crew were moved into a safety room while the captain and search-and-rescue coordinator remained on the bridge. No one was physically injured, but the attack created panic and left the ship severely damaged.

Eyewitness accounts described the terrifying scene. Crew members recalled how they first mistook the sound of shots until glass shattered around them. Some shots came from automatic weapons. During the assault, threats were also made in Arabic over the radio, warning the Ocean Viking: “If you don’t leave the area, we will come and kill you all.”

COMMUNIQUÉ
Hier après-midi l’Ocean Viking a été délibérément pris pour cible par les garde-côtes libyens. Le navire et les équipements essentiels de sauvetage ont subi d’importants dégâts.

Un acte inacceptable.

SOS MEDITERRANEE demande :

une enquête complète sur les… pic.twitter.com/ZEDQS1Gx8H

— SOS MEDITERRANEE France (@SOSMedFrance) August 25, 2025

Video footage released by SOS MEDITERRANEE shows armed men pointing weapons at the vessel and several rounds of gunfire, while images display broken windows and destroyed equipment.

After the attack, the Ocean Viking issued a mayday distress call and contacted NATO for help. The nearest NATO unit was an Italian Navy ship, but according to SOS MEDITERRANEE, the calls went unanswered.

The ship’s captain has since decided to head for Syracuse, Italy, its home port, to disembark the 87 survivors and carry out urgent repairs. Italian authorities have confirmed Syracuse as the destination.

In 2023, the Ocean Viking had already faced a violent episode when a similar Libyan patrol boat fired near its rescue boats during an operation. Despite public appeals for accountability, no investigation was launched at the time.

The patrol boat used in the August 24 assault was donated to Libya by Italy in 2023 under the EU’s “Support to Integrated Border and Migration Management in Libya” (SIBMMIL) program.

Despite repeated warnings about abuse, the Libyan Coast Guard continues to receive European training, funding, and equipment. Rights groups and United Nations agencies have documented years of systematic abuse of migrants and refugees in Libya, including torture, rape, and extortion.

Frontex, the EU’s border agency, described the attack as “deeply concerning” and urged the proper authorities to investigate the events thoroughly.

Referece: sosmediterranee

Source: www.marineinsight.com