The Office for the Protection of Archaeological Sites in the southern region said it had foiled an attempt to smuggle 20 artifacts from the mountains of Akakus in the far south of Libya.

The artifacts included ancient objects made of high quality stones from the area of Talawawth, Ramleh and Wan Kazah, according to the parallel Libyan News Agency.

The agency added that the head of the Libyan Antiquities Authority in the southern region, Al-Ameen Alhouni, instructed the office to follow up the incident and to quickly head to Awainat town in order to take the pieces, which were about to be smuggled outside Libya.

Crimes