About 700 migrants, mostly Syrians, Palestinians and Eritreans, including a two-day-old infant, were rescued yesterday by the Italian navy with the assistance of the Malta-based Migrant Offshore Aid Station.

MOAS said it spotted the first group of about 300 migrants at 6.40am. The group included 83 women and children. It was involved in another rescue operation at 11.20am. This time, about 400 migrants on a wooden boat needed assistance.

All migrants were eventually transferred to the Italian warship Borsini.

MOAS said those rescued included a number of people from Damascus who said they had sold their worldly possessions to finance the trip. One of the migrants was quoted saying he sold his house and car and spent $15,000 to get his family away from the conflict.

A privately-funded humanitarian initiative, MOAS operates a 40-metre long ship, the Phoenix, which is manned by a professional crew of rescuers, seafarers, paramedics and humanitarians.

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