Italian ship seized

ROME (AP):

Libyan military officials yesterday boarded an Italian tugboat docked at Tripoli's port and threatened to suspend its communications in an apparent seizure, the ship owner said, as US and European airstrikes enforced a no-fly zone over Libya.

Italian officials warned they would do whatever was necessary to free the crew of the Asso 22, which includes eight Italians, two Indians and Ukrainian.

The tug was involved in servicing oil platforms off the Tripoli coast.

The ship owner, Naples-based Augusta Offshore SrL, said Tripoli port officials had boarded the vessel Friday and Saturday, asking to see and photograph its equipment, with some spending the night on board.

Yesterday morning, armed Libyan military officers boarded and threatened to suspend communications between the ship and Augusta Offshore officials, the company said in a statement.

The tug left the port later yesterday, heading northwest, the company said, adding that the crew was fine. Italy's foreign minister said it appeared to be heading to an oil platform, presumably with Libyan officials still on-board.

Italy's Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the situation was fluid and confusing, but that he couldn't exclude that it amounted to a seizure.