TRIPOLI: At least 21 bodies of migrants have been found in a mass grave in eastern Libya, with up to 10 survivors in the group bearing signs of having been tortured before they were freed from captivity, two security sources said on Thursday.

The sources said security authorities raided a farm near the town of Ajdabiya after receiving a report of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa being held there.

“We found migrants — men, women and children — bearing signs of torture. They were taken to a hospital where they reported that other migrants had been with them and then disappeared,” one of the security sources said.

The mass grave was discovered some 10 km (six miles) southeast of Ajdabiya, which is around 160 km from Benghazi, the second largest city in the North African country.

The farm owner was arrested and had admitted the presence of a mass grave on his property, the sources said.

Unverified pictures posted on the internet showed a number of security personnel and Red Crescent volunteers placing bodies allegedly found on the farm property into black plastic bags.

Published in Dawn, January 16th, 2026