TUNIS: Thirteen bodies believed to be of sub-Saharan African migrants have been found dead off Tunisia’s eastern coast, a judicial official told AFP on Wednesday.
The bodies were found Tuesday and Wednesday off the coastal towns of Salakta and Chebba, said Farid Ben Jha, the spokesman for the public prosecution in the Monastir and Mahdia governorates.
He added that an investigation has been opened but provided no further details.
Tunisia and neighboring Libya have become key departure points for migrants, often from other countries, who risk perilous Mediterranean Sea journeys in the hopes of reaching better lives in Europe.
Each year, tens of thousands of people attempt to make the crossing, with Italy — whose Lampedusa island is only 150 kilometers (90 miles) from Tunisia — often their first port of call.
Since January 1, at least 103 makeshift boats have capsized, and 341 bodies have been recovered off Tunisia’s coast, according to the interior ministry.
More than 1,300 people died or disappeared last year in shipwrecks off the North African country, according to the Tunisian FTDES rights group.
The International Organization for Migration has said that more than 30,309 migrants have died in the Mediterranean in the past decade, including more than 3,000 last year.
13 migrants found dead off Tunisia: official
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13 migrants found dead off Tunisia: official
- The bodies were found Tuesday and Wednesday off the coastal towns of Salakta and Chebba
- Since January 1, at least 103 makeshift boats have capsized, and 341 bodies have been recovered off Tunisia’s coast
India’s Modi is making his second official visit to Israel to meet with Netanyahu
- In addition to being a powerful ally, India is also Israel’s No. 2 trading partner in Asia
JERUSALEM: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit focusing on strengthening security, economic and technological cooperation between the two countries.
Modi has said he would hold talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog and would speak to Israeli parliament on Wednesday evening.
“Our nations share a robust and multifaceted Strategic Partnership,” Modi wrote on X. “Ties have significantly strengthened in the last few years.”
Netanyahu referred to himself and Modi as “personal friends” when he announced the visit earlier this week and the visit is likely to give Israel a boost of international support after seeing relations with many of its allies deteriorate since the war in Gaza began in October 2023.
In addition to being a powerful ally, India is also Israel’s No. 2 trading partner in Asia. Total trade between India and Israel was valued at $3.62 billion in the 2025 fiscal year, according to India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Modi became India’s first prime minister to travel to Israel in 2017, and Netanyahu reciprocated with a trip to India the following year.
Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting Sunday that economic and security issues will be high on the leaders’ agenda, as will sharing technology, including artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
“We are partners in innovation, security, and a shared strategic vision,” Netanyahu said on the social platform X ahead of Modi’s arrival. “Together, we are building an axis of nations committed to stability and progress.”
Modi’s embrace of Israel has marked a shift in India’s foreign policy. India has historically supported the Palestinians, and did not establish full diplomatic ties with Israel until 1992.
A staunch Hindu nationalist, Modi was one of the first global leaders to swiftly express solidarity with Israel following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by the Palestinian militant Hamas group.
India was also among more than 100 countries earlier this month to condemn Israel’s newly approved measures to deepen its control over the occupied West Bank and weaken the already limited powers of the Palestinian Authority.
