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TUNIS, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian navy rescued on Saturday 53 illegal immigrants who were on their way to the Italian coast, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.
"The rescue operation took place 60 km northeast of Kerkennah Islands in the southeastern Tunisian Province of Sfax," the ministry statement added.
The immigrants, aged between 16 to 30, set off on Friday night from the coast of Mahdia Province in eastern Tunisia, according to the statement.
The attempts of illegal immigration from the Tunisian coasts toward Italy have been growing despite the strict measures by the Tunisian authorities to tackle the problem.
