Its crew has taken control of a vessel smuggling 71 men, 17 women and 12 children.

This is the first successful intervention by Triglav as part of the EU's anti-human-smuggling mission.

Operation Sophia, as the mission to board, search and seize vessels suspected of smuggling migrants across the Mediterranean is called, is the second stage of the Eunavfor Med naval mission.

The people who were on board the smuggling vessel are being transferred to a Norwegian ship, which will carry out all due procedures, the ministry explained.

Triglav and its 37-strong crew arrived in the Italian port in Augusta on Monday, 19 October.

The ministry said more details of today's rescue operation would be presented on Thursday.