ATHENS

Two Greek warships began patrolling off Libya to prevent migration to the country, local media reported on Monday.

The ships' primary mission is to locate the boats and small vessels used by smugglers to cross the Libyan Sea, transporting irregular migrants to the small islands of Gavdos and Crete, the daily Kathimerini said in its report.

With this move, the daily said, Athens is also increasing its military presence in a region critical to its national interests, particularly in light of close Turkish-Libyan ties, which included a maritime delimitation agreement in 2018.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced last Monday that the country would deploy navy vessels off the coast of Libya to stem the recent surge in migrant arrivals.