Malta's armed forces rescue 85 migrants

The Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) have rescued 85 migrants, the Maltese government said on Saturday.

The government said in a release that an AFM vessel was dispatched on Friday evening to the location where a wooden boat was reported to be in distress off the coast of Malta.

A group of 85 migrants were rescued and transferred on board the AFM vessel. They were brought to Malta on Saturday morning, it said.