Italy Studying 'Targeted Interventions' against Libya People Smugglers

Italy is studying the possibility of mounting "targeted interventions" against Libya-based people smugglers behind a huge surge in the numbers of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said Monday.

"The hypothesis of military intervention (to stabilize Libya) is not on the table... but what is possible are targeted interventions to destroy a criminal racket," Renzi said at a press conference with his Maltese counterpart Joseph Muscat.

"Attacks on death rackets, attacks against slave traders (traffickers) are in our thinking," Renzi said, adding that defense ministry experts were studying all options.

The option of some sort of limited military action aiming to take out or apprehend smuggling kingpins was first raised last week by Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni.

He said the operations could be based on the example of anti-terrorist strikes carried out as part of the allied campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

Italy regards the reestablishment of the rule of law and state authority in conflict-torn Libya as key to addressing the migrant crisis.

Rome has said it would be willing to lead an international peacekeeping force in its former colony but only if the warring parties have first agreed to a U.N.-brokered ceasefire and peace accord.

The chaos in Libya is widely seen as allowing people traffickers from all over north Africa to operate out of the country with impunity.