Malta's armed forces have taken control of a tanker that was allegedly seized by migrants off Libya on Wednesday.

The tanker, Elhiblu 1, has docked in the Maltese capital Valletta. More than 100 migrants on board are expected to be handed over to police.

The migrants had been rescued by the ship but reportedly hijacked it after being told they would be returned to Libya.

They are said to have told the captain to head north towards Europe instead.

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In a statement, the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM) said they had established communications with the captain of the ship when it was still proceeding towards Malta.

The captain said he was not in control of the vessel and that he and his crew were being forced and threatened by a number of migrants to proceed to Malta.

A patrol vessel stopped the tanker from entering Maltese territorial waters, and a special operations unit team was dispatched to board and secure the vessel, the AFM said in a statement.

Malta's Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, has said all international rules will be followed as police investigate the incident on the vessel.

It is not clear what will now happen to the migrants, but they've reached the destination they wanted, says the BBC's Southern Europe correspondent James Reynolds.

Italy's interior minister, Matteo Salvini, had earlier called the migrants "pirates" and said they would not be allowed to dock in Italy.

He described the act as "the first piracy on the high seas with migrants", according to the Associated Press news agency.

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The incident comes as the EU says it is ending navy patrols in the Mediterranean.

The EU says the decision to suspend Operation Sophia in September follows a request by Italy.

The mission was put in place four years ago to deter people smugglers and rescue migrants trying to reach Europe by boat. Tens of thousands have been saved.

Lately, the mission has largely targeted smuggling networks as the number of people making the crossing dropped sharply following a controversial deal between the EU and Libya.

But Mr Salvini, the leader of the right-wing League party, has blamed Operation Sophia for continuing to bring rescued migrants to Italian shores.

He has been at the centre of a number of international rows over his refusal to allow migrant ships to dock in Italian ports.

Migrant arrivals from North Africa and the Middle East have fallen since reaching a peak in 2015.

An estimated 150,000 illegal crossings were registered by Frontex, the European Border and Coastguard Agency, last year, the lowest amount since 2013.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/amp/world-europe-47730693

migrants crisis looming

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Abi na my phone dey deceive me, So stunning

Walahi I dey see guys wey resemble naija o.

Lampalampa gone wrong, they've entered Europe is all what matters