One coast guard officer and two migrants injured during coast guard pursuit
A coast guard officer and two irregular migrants were injured during a coast guard pursuit of a migrant-trafficking vessel that culminated in an exchange of fire on Monday.
The coast guard vessel engaged in the pursuit of a vessel that, according to initial reports, was carrying two migrant traffickers and an unknown number of irregular migrants between the Aegean islands of Pserimos and Kalymnos.
During the pursuit the migrant traffickers attempted to ram and sink the coast guard vessel and there was an exchange of fire between the two sides, resulting in the injury of one officer and the migrants hidden in the hold of the migrant trafficking vessel.
The two migrant traffickers were arrested and the injured taken to hospital.
The coast guard is expected to make further announcements concerning the precise conditions in which the incident took place shortly.
