Three immigrants critically injured from gunshot wounds were brought in on a rescue helicopter last night after their boat was intercepted about 35 nautical miles south of Malta.
Another six were flown in later needing urgent medical attention. The boat, carrying about 300 migrants, was spotted in Maltese territorial waters.
Sources said the first three may have left Libya wounded, although this had still to be established through an investigation.
The other six migrants were either losing consciousness or had a very low heart rate, forcing their airlift.
The operation began late yesterday afternoon when the boat was intercepted by the Armed Forces of Malta.
Attention was drawn to the injured and a full-scale rescue operation got underway involving an AFM helicopter and that of the Italian Military Mission based in Malta.
The operation was held jointly between the Maltese and the Italian authorities.
The AFM Air Wing in Luqa quickly turned into a mini-hospital as at least six ambulances turned up to await the arrival of the injured migrants.
Staff from Mater Dei’s Major Incident Response Unit were also on site, equipped with medical provisions.
The three critically injured migrants were the first to arrive. They were stretchered off the helicopter and rushed to hospital.
Late last night, sources said the rest of the migrants on the drifting dinghy were being transferred to AFM patrol boats and were expected to be brought to Maltese shores later.
Libya is still facing internal strife, with reports of fighting in several cities.
This was the first big arrival of migrants this year and possibly the first time since the fall of the Gaddafi regime that injured people were brought to Malta to be treated for their wounds.
The Italian coastguard intercepted two boats over the past 24 hours, taking nearly 300 migrants to the island of Lampedusa.
The Pope is due to visit Lampedusa on Monday to hold Mass at a migrants’ reception centre.
He will also throw a wreath in the sea in memory of migrants who died at sea.