Tunis: The Tunisian National Guard has announced the rescue of 29 illegal immigrants from a boat that sank off the country's eastern coast.

According to Qatar News Agency, the Tunisian National Guard reported in a statement Monday that its units also recovered eight bodies of illegal immigrants who died in a boat sinking off the coast of El Ouabed, Sfax Governorate. The Guard added that the boat was carrying migrants from sub-Saharan Africa and other nationalities, noting that search and combing operations at sea are still ongoing.

It is worth noting that the Tunisian coast has witnessed a large influx of illegal immigrants seeking to reach the southern coasts of European Union (EU) countries for years. These operations have resulted in the drowning of thousands, according to statistics from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).