Tunisia retrieves 19 bodies of migrants off coasts

Tunisian coast guards have retrieved the bodies of 19 migrants over the past 24 hours after their boats sank off Tunisian coasts, the Tunisian National Guard said Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

The bodies were retrieved off the coast of the southeastern province of Sfax and central Tunisia, the Tunisian National Guard said in a statement on its Facebook page.

"Units of the naval guard have also arrested five individuals from organizers of several migrant smuggling networks," it added, without giving further details.

Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the main departure points for migrants seeking irregular entry into Europe.

The number of illegal migrants heading for Italy from the Tunisian coasts has been increasing despite the strict measures taken by the Tunisian authorities.