15 migrants killed by smugglers in western Libya

The Libyan Naval Forces rescue 101 irregular migrants off Garabulli stranded on a boat in Tripoli, Libya on May 23, 2022. [Hazem Turkia – Anadolu Agency]

Fifteen irregular migrants were shot dead by traffickers in Sabratha city in western Libya, according to a local NGO on Saturday, Anadolu reports.

Ahmed Hamza, head of the Libyan National Commission for Human Rights, said the migrants were killed in a dispute between traffickers before their boat were set ablaze.

He said the slain migrants were from different nationalities.

There was no comment yet from Libyan authorities.

Libya is considered one of the main routes to Europe that migrants regularly use to cross the Mediterranean to reach European shores.

According to official Libyan figures, there are nearly 700,000 migrants held in Libyan detention facilities who were caught attempting to make their route towards Europe.

READ: Migrants killed as boat sinks off Greek island

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