Lebanese naval forces carried out rescue operations on Saturday after the sinking of a boat transporting about 200 would-be migrants, the army said on Twitter.

Separately, state TV tweeted that initial information was that the boat had been carrying people from Lebanon, Syria and Palestinian territories.

The army said the boat had carried people who had tried to illegally cross Lebanese territorial waters, adding that three naval vessels escorted by a UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) vessel arrived at the site of the sinking, off the coast of Selaata, north of Beirut, and proceeded to rescue about 200 people.

It gave no further details.

In September, 34 bodies of migrants were found off the coast of the northern Syrian port city of Tartus, suspected of having left north Lebanon heading towards Europe.