The Italian navy rescued nearly 500 people, including more than 100 children, in an all-night operation yesterday as the immigrants tried to cross from Africa into Europe.

The operation began as 133 children along with 74 women were brought aboard two navy vessels Monday evening from two fishing boats tethered together off Sicily.

The rescue then had to be suspended due to rough waters, the navy said. The remaining migrants, 281 men, were thrown life preservers and rescued on Tuesday.

Most were from Syria, Egypt and Bangladesh, the navy said.

There has been an enormous jump this year in the number of migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Of the 26,644 migrants who arrived in Italy through April 30 this year, 3,848 were children and 2,744 of those were unaccompanied.

That compares with 3,362 arrivals in the same period last year, including 522 unaccompanied minors and 58 children with families.

The U.N. estimates that over 170 people have died at sea trying to reach Europe so far this year.

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