UNSMIL strongly condemned today the heinous killing on Friday morning of at least 15 migrants and asylum-seekers in Sabratha.
It reported that 11 charred bodies were found inside the docked boat with a further four wounded bodies found outside.
UNSMIL conceded that the exact circumstances remain to be determined, with the killings reportedly resulting from armed clashes between rival traffickers.
It called on the Libyan authorities to ensure a swift, independent and transparent investigation to bring all perpetrators to justice.
This attack is a stark reminder of the lack of protection migrants and asylum-seekers face in Libya, and the widespread human rights violations undertaken by powerful trafficking and criminal networks who need to be swiftly stopped and prosecuted, UNSMIL concluded.