Libyan security authorities have recovered the bodies of at least six migrants in the country’s southeast after their vehicle broke down in the desert, reports said.
The bodies were found in a desert area about 200 kilometres (124 miles) northwest of Jalu, according to the Directorate.
Two bodies were discovered inside the broken-down vehicle, while three others were found about four kilometres (2.5 miles) away. Another body was located about 10 kilometres (six miles) from the vehicle after security personnel tracked footprints, the Directorate said.
It said the vehicle documents indicated that its owner was from Chad.
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The Directorate also said 19 migrants were rescued on Sunday in connection with the incident, although it did not specify where they were found.
According to the vehicle owner’s brother, who was among the 19 rescued migrants, another vehicle travelling with the group took fuel from the stranded vehicle and continued its journey.
Libya has become a major transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty who seek to reach Europe through dangerous desert crossings and the Mediterranean Sea.
The country has seen a rise in migrant movements since the 2011 NATO-backed uprising that toppled long-time leader Muammar Gaddafi.
Pictures released by the Directorate showed security personnel, accompanied by members of the Fifth Battalion of the 129th Brigade, recovering the bodies and placing them in black plastic bags.
