STORY: At least five bodies of migrants including two women washed ashore in a coastal town in the east of Libya's capital Tripoli, a police officer told Reuters on Saturday (February 21).

Video obtained by Reuters showed bodies of three migrants lying on the shore of Emhamid Al-Sharif in the western part of Qasr Al-Akhyar, a coastal town some 73 kilometres (45 miles) east of Tripoli. Police officers were on the scene inspecting the bodies, with one still wearing a black inflatable lifebuoy.

Hassan Al-Ghawil, head of investigations at the Qasr Al-Akhyar police station, said that according to people in the area, a child's body washed ashore and because of the waves' height the body returned to the sea, and the coast guard was asked to search for it.

Ghawil said the bodies were all dark-skinned people. The bodies were found on Emhamid Al-Sharif shore by people who reported to the police station.

Libya has become a transit route for migrants fleeing conflict and poverty to Europe across the Mediterranean since the fall in 2011 of dictator Muammar Gaddafi to a NATO-backed uprising. Factional conflict has split the country into western and eastern factions since 2014.

“We reported to the Red Crescent to recover the bodies," said Ghawil. "The bodies we found are still intact and we think there are more bodies to wash ashore."

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: QASR AL-AKHYAR, LIBYA (FEBRUARY 21, 2026) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS - Access all)

1. POLICE OFFICERS WALKING TOWARDS BODY OF MIGRANT, WITH BLACK LIFEBUOY AROUND IT, LYING ON SHORE

2. VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS INSPECTING AND DOCUMENTING BODY OF MIGRANT IN PINK JACKET LYING ON SHORE

3. VARIOUS OF BODY OF MIGRANT LYING ON SHORE, DRAPED IN BLUE FABRIC

4. POLICE OFFICERS WALKING BEHIND POLICE VEHICLE PARKED ON BEACH WITH WORDS ON SIDE READING (Arabic): “QASR AL-AKHYAR POLICE CENTRE"