Valletta, Malta, May 01, SPA --Malta accused Italy today of breachinginternational law after Italian authorities turned back a Maltesepatrol boat heading for the Italian islet of Lampedusa with 66rescued migrants on board, according to dpa. The Maltese government said it hoped there would not be arepetition of Thursday's incident when Italian authorities refused totake the migrants who, the Maltese say, were stranded just 24nautical miles from Lampedusa. The official protest was delivered to the Italian Foreign Ministryin Rome. Maltese officials said Italian authorities had initially indicatedthat they would be cooperating with the Maltese military after themigrants sent a rescue alert. When the Maltese patrol boat arrived just off Italianterritorial waters, it was intercepted by two Italian vessels andtold not to proceed further, the Maltese officials said. Malta said that in terms of international law, the migrantsshould have been taken to the nearest safe port, which was Lampedusa. The incident took place just a fortnight after over 140 immigrantswere left stranded off Lampedusa for three days, after a vessel thatrescued them was refused entry by both Italy and Malta.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/659852