ISTANBUL, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- Ten illegal migrants were reportedly missing on Monday after the boat carrying them capsized off Turkey's Aegean coast, the Turkish coast guard said.

Two illegal migrants swam to the shore of Dikili district in Izmir province early in the morning, and reported that their boat had sank with 10 people missing, the coast guard said in a statement posted on its website.

The Turkish force has sent three boats and a helicopter for a rescue operation, said the statement.

The Aegean Sea was a favorite route for migrants fleeing into Europe via Turkey. A deal signed between Turkey and the European Union in March 2016 has helped reduce the flow of illegal migration.