TRIPOLI, Libya

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

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

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar