Italian navy rescues 596 migrants aboard 6 boats in Mediterranean

A total of 596 migrants were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea within 24 hours in operations using ships and helicopters, the Italian Navy said Wednesday.The migrants were travelling aboard six boats that were not seaworthy and overcrowded. They were spotted off the southern coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, the navy said.The first boats were found Tuesday and the rescue operations lasted the entire night, it said. The migrants were taken aboard navy ships and ferried to land.Favourable weather conditions this week prompted streams of primarily African migrants to undertake the perilous journey to Europe.Thousands have been rescued since the beginning of the year, dpa reported. The Italian military has stepped up sea patrols after 366 migrants died as the result of a capsizing off the coast of Lampedusa in October.