Scores of bodies uncovered in Libyan mass graves linked to human trafficking
Authorities in Libya uncovered nearly 50 bodies in two mass graves in the southeastern city of Kufra, officials said Sunday. The discovery followed a raid on a human trafficking site, where 76 migrants were freed and three suspects were arrested.
Libya authorities have uncovered nearly 50 bodies from two mass graves in the country's southeastern desert, officials said Sunday, in the latest tragedy involving people seeking to reach Europe through the chaos-stricken North African country.
The first mass grave with 19 bodies was found Friday in a farm in the southeastern city of Kufra, the security directorate said in a statement, adding that authorities took them for autopsy.
Authorities posted images on its Facebook page showing police officers and medics digging in the sand and recovering dead bodies that were wrapped in blankets.
The al-Abreen charity, which helps migrants in eastern and southern Libya, said that some were apparently shot and killed before being buried.
A separate mass grave, with at least 30 bodies, was also found in Kufra after raiding a human trafficking center, according to Mohamed al-Fadeil, head of the security chamber in Kufra. Survivors said nearly 70 people were buried in the grave, he added. Authorities were still searching the area.
(APTN)
Read more on FRANCE 24 EnglishRead also:Journalist Sally Hayden on the plight of refugees and migrants trapped in LibyaMass grave of at least 65 migrants found in Libya desert, UN agency says
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