At least 29 bodies of migrants have been recovered from two locations in Libya, underscoring the ongoing dangers faced by those attempting to cross the Mediterranean.
On Thursday, Libyan authorities reported the recovery of at least 29 bodies of migrants from two separate locations in the country.
The Awjila Security Directorate stated that 19 bodies were discovered in a mass grave on a farm in the Ajdabiya area, approximately 441 kilometers from Benghazi, Libya's second-largest city.
The deaths are believed to be connected to human smuggling activities.
The Awjila Security Directorate released a statement indicating the presence of public prosecutors in the area during the recovery operation.
The recovered bodies were found in three graves on the farm, with one grave containing one body, another containing four, and the third containing 14. The agency has transferred the bodies to forensic authorities for necessary examinations.
Separately, the Libyan Red Crescent announced on its
Facebook page that its team had retrieved the bodies of ten migrants who died when their boat sank off the coast of Dhiba near the city of Zawiya, located about 40 kilometers from Tripoli.
Images posted by the Red Crescent showed volunteers at the port carefully placing the bodies in white plastic bags, while one volunteer documented the retrieval process.
Libya has become a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflicts and economic hardship in sub-Saharan Africa, seeking to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.
In late January, the Awjila branch of the Criminal Investigation Agency reported the liberation of 263 migrants from various sub-Saharan countries who were being held by a smuggling gang under dire humanitarian and health conditions.