Migrant boats sink off Tunisia; five dead, at least 33 missing

Four African migrant boats sank off Tunisia on Wednesday and Thursday as they tried to cross the Mediterranean to Italy, leaving at least five dead and 33 missing, while the Coast Guard rescued 84 others, a judicial official told Reuters.

Judge Faouzi Masmoudi said the boats sank off the coast ofSfax, adding that the frequency of such attempted crossings hasincreased significantly recently.