Algeria: reports confirm Syrians among group found dead in desert

Fourteen people — twelve Syrians and two Algerians — have died after getting stranded in the desert in Algeria near the border with Libya, a local relief organisation said on Monday. The Algerian Relief Association for Search and Rescue said that the victims were males aged between 10 and 55 years old, and were found in the Belguebbour Desert in south-east Algeria, Anadolu has reported.

The Syrian Embassy in Algiers confirmed that 12 Syrians were among the victims. Their bodies will be sent to Syria for burial. There was no immediate comment from the Algerian authorities on the report.

Algeria’s southern provinces are on the route for migrants seeking to reach Europe. According to the Algerian authorities, human traffickers are active in the area and organise smuggling operations for migrants aiming to cross the Mediterranean Sea.

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