Libyan authorities have uncovered a mass grave containing the bodies of at least 28 migrants in the south-eastern desert, just days after another grave with 19 bodies was found in the same area.

According to the country’s attorney general, the latest discovery was made north of Kufra following a raid on a human trafficking site. During the operation, officials freed 76 migrants who had been detained and subjected to torture.

Authorities have arrested three suspects—one Libyan and two foreign nationals believed to be part of a human trafficking gang. The attorney general’s office stated that the group was responsible for depriving migrants of their freedom and subjecting them to cruel and inhumane treatment.

Images shared online show officials exhuming bodies and placing them in black bags, although these visuals have not been independently verified. The bodies have been taken for autopsy, and investigators suspect links to smuggling networks.

The search operation in Kufra, located more than 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) from Tripoli, is ongoing.

Libya has long been a key transit route for migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, especially since the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Last year, authorities discovered another mass grave containing at least 65 migrant bodies, highlighting the deadly risks faced by those attempting the journey.

Unicef recently reported that more than 2,200 migrants died or went missing in the Mediterranean in 2024 while trying to reach Europe.

BBC