RABAT, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Moroccan navy has rescued 140 migrants off the Mediterranean coasts, Morocco's army said on Thursday.

Over the past 24 hours, royal navy units on patrol in the Mediterranean have assisted several boats in difficulty and saved 140 people, the same source pointed out.

Most of the rescued migrants are from sub-Saharan African countries, including women and children, the source noted.

In recent months, Morocco has been witnessing a significant hike in illegal immigration attempts.

The Moroccan government said its security services have thwarted at least 54,000 attempts to smuggle illegal immigrants into Europe in the first eight months of 2018, compared with 39,000 attempts a year earlier.