After spending several days in the scorching sun, a total of 57 exhausted irregular migrants have been rescued from three separate boats by the Armed Forces of Malta.

The first boatload of 20 irregular migrants, including a young boy and a nine-month-old baby, was rescued by the Armed Forces of Malta and brought ashore early yesterday morning.

Sources close to the rescue operation told The Malta Independent that the AFM had received information from Rome that there was a boatload of irregular migrants around 60 nautical miles south of Malta.

The AFM immediately dispatched one of its patrol boats, the P-52, to the scene where they found a boat containing 13 men, five women, the young boy and the nine-month-old baby. They were brought to Malta early in the morning.

The migrants were tired and thirsty after spending more than three days at sea and were given the medical assistance they required.

Some time later, the AFM rescued yet another boat of nine irregular migrants and later on yesterday evening, the AFM landed another boatload of 28 migrants.

The police are investigating.