RABAT, May 5 (Xinhua) -- Morocco's navy coast guards have rescued 151 illegal immigrants from sub-Saharan African nations in the Mediterranean, the Moroccan army said on Sunday.

On the night of Saturday and early hours of Sunday, the royal navy units on patrol in the Mediterranean have assisted 16 inflatable boats in difficulty in the Strait of Gibraltar and rescued 151 migrants, the same source pointed out.

The migrants were brought safely to port of the northern city of Tangier, the same source noted.

According to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, a total of 88,761 migrants have been prevented from leaving Morocco in 2018.