Greece opens fire at civilian boat in Aegean Sea

Frontex official escort a migrant aboard a Turkish boat heading to Turkey on 8 April, 2016 in the port of Mytilene on the Greek island of Lesbos. [STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images]

Greece opened fire at a boat carrying civilians off the island of Rhodes in the Aegean Sea, said the Turkish Coast Guard Command on Tuesday, reports Anadolu Agency.

In a statement, the command said two Turks and one Syrian national were injured and the boat sank due to the attack.

Syrian refugees and the EU [Cartoon/Arabi21]

It said the attack took place 0040GMT in the Greek waters, 7.2 nautical miles from Turkey’s Mugla province.

It said an emergency team was dispatched comprising four boats and a diving team after the attack.

The injured people were taken to the Marmaris State Hospital by the Turkish rescue team, it added.

Tensions in the region are on the rise due to the exploration and drilling activities of the hydrocarbon sources in the Mediterranean Sea.

Ankara accuses Greece of pursuing maximalist policies in the Eastern Mediterranean and underlines that its maritime claims violate Turkey’s sovereign rights.

READ: Greece must be held to account for deporting refugees during pandemic, says HRW

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