EU to seek UN clearance

Britain and France agreed Thursday to seek UN approval for an EU military operation against people smugglers, in a bid to curb the soaring number of migrants dying as they seek a better life in Europe.

At crisis talks in Brussels, EU leaders also decided to triple funds for the bloc's maritime search and rescue operation, as horrific details continued to emerge of last weekend's shipwreck that saw hundreds drown in the Mediterranean's worst migrant disaster.

Triton's funding will increase from the current three million euros ($3.2 million) a month to nine million euros.

European Council President Donald Tusk said EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini had been tasked to "propose action in order to capture and destroy the smugglers' vessels before they can be used."

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi added that leaders from France and Britain -- both permanent members of the UN Security Council -- had "committed to get a resolution from the United Nations for an intervention in Libya."

But leaders failed to agree on concrete action over the sensitive issue of what to do with migrants -- many of whom depart from chaos-ridden Libya -- once they land on European shores.

Draft proposals leaked before the summit had suggested that member states provide resettlement to 5,000 migrants, but no number was given in the concluding statement.

Ahead of the high-profile gathering, poignant events had taken place in Malta and Brussels to try and highlight the tragic human dimension of migrant shipwrecks.

Already, more than 1,750 migrants have died crossing the Mediterranean this year -- 30 times more than the same period in 2014.

Malta honoured the more than 750 victims of last weekend's shipwreck with an inter-faith funeral service -- the wooden coffins of 24 of the dead carried away by soldiers for private burials.

French President Francois Hollande, meanwhile, said any decision to destroy the traffickers' ships would have to be in line with international law.

"It can only be done through a resolution of the Security Council," he said.

But experts have questioned the feasibility of a military response to the crisis.

"It's not an easy task to go shoot down boats in Libyan ports," a European source who wished to remain anonymous said.

He pointed out that the radical Islamic State group was in control of parts of chaos-ridden Libya.

"They will be delighted to see European soldiers come to them, they are potentially easy targets."

But Tusk said the mission would continue to carry out its mandate as before, going no further than 30 nautical miles from European shores -- far away from countries like Libya.