More than 2100 migrants on board 12 boats have been rescued in a major operation off the Italian island off Lampedusa.
Italian and Maltese rescue vessels were involved in the operation some 160 kilometres off the island after the boats left Libya despite poor weather conditions.
The 2164 refugees were to be brought to Italy.
The rescue comes one day after 600 migrants aboard six boats were rescued in the area by the Italian coast guard and an Icelandic ship taking part in a European Union mission took on board 184 migrants.
Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat posted on Twitter that his country's armed forces were involved in a "major joint operation rescuing migrants on numerous boats leaving from Libya."
Earlier on Sunday, Muscat warned that the rapidly deteriorating crisis in Libya could result in an increasing number of migrants catching a boat to try to reach Europe.
More than 330 people died last week trying to make the crossing, which claimed 3500 lives last year.
