TUNIS, Tunusia 

A boat carrying irregular migrants capsized Friday off the coast of Tunisia, leaving at least two dead, while 34 migrants have so far been rescued. 

"A boat carrying around 70 irregular migrants capsized off the coast of the city of Zerzis. As a result of search and rescue operations by security forces attached to the navy, the bodies of 2 irregular migrants were recovered, while 34 migrants were rescued," the National Guard General Directorate of Tunisia said in a written statement.

The statement said the irregular migrants were attempting to cross from another country to Europe, but did not specify the origin of the boat.  

1,300 irregular migrants missing last year

Tunisia’s Economic and Social Rights Forum said in February that 1,300 Tunisian irregular migrants went missing during migration attempts in 2023, while over 17,000 irregular migrants attempting to cross to Europe by sea successfully reached Europe.

Thousands of African irregular migrants annually reach Tunisia, bordered by Libya and Algeria, aiming to reach Europe via the Mediterranean for a better life.

Lampedusa Island, Italy's closest landmass to North Africa along the irregular migration route in the Central Mediterranean, is some 130 kilometers (81 miles) from the Tunisian coast.

The Tunisian city of Sfax stands out as a prominent location where irregular migrants frequently attempt to reach Lampedusa.

Last September, the European Commission announced the allocation of €27 million ($185 million) in aid to Tunisia under a memorandum of understanding aimed at reducing irregular migration.