Libyan Red Crescent retrieves bodies of migrants on beach near capital

Seven irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa have been found dead on a beach east of Libya's capital, Tripoli, a Libyan Red Crescent worker told AFP on Sunday.

Among them were three children, the worker said, adding that there were likely other dead migrants who have not yet been found. The Libyan Red Crescent did not provide details on the circumstances of their death.

The organisation said in a statement it "recovered seven bodies from a beach in Qasr Al-Akhyar belonging to irregular migrants".

The bodies were found Saturday night in Qasr al-Akhyar, a coastal town some 73 kilometres (45 miles) east of Tripoli, the statement said. Libya is a key transit country for thousands of migrants attempting to reach Europe each year, with deaths among migrants frequently reported.

Over 2,100 irregular migrants died or went missing while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe last year, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM).