The Nigerien Defense Ministry has stated that ten migrants have been found dead in the desert in Dirkou city, northern Niger near the Libyan border, without giving a precise date.

An official from Agadez told French news agency Agence France Presse (AFP) that it was “very possible” that they had been abandoned by their smuggler, indicating that an investigation into the cause of their death is underway.

Dirkou city, which is located in the Sahara desert in the Agadez region of Niger, is one of the crossing points for migrants heading towards Libya, as well as trafficked weapons and drugs from sub-Saharan Africa towards Libya and Europe.

Last Wednesday, the Libyan Ambulance and Emergency Service reported finding 20 bodies in the desert between Libya and Chad.

Variety