Tunis, Sep 30 (IANS): Tunisian coast guards have retrieved 12 bodies of undocumented immigrants, including three infants, after their boat sank off Djerba Island in southeastern Tunisia, Tunisian radio Mosaique FM reported Monday.

"A total of 29 immigrants were rescued during the operation, and the search for the missing, the number of whom was not specified, is still underway," Houcemeddine Jbabli, spokesperson for the Tunisian National Guard, told the radio.

"The boat set sail this morning at around 5:15 am local time (0415 GMT)," Jbabli said, adding that most of the immigrants were Tunisian nationals, accompanied by two foreign immigrants, Xinhua news agency reported.

Last week, the Tunisian maritime guards had found 13 bodies of undocumented immigrants in the coastal province of Mahdia in eastern Tunisia.

"Ten bodies were washed ashore on Tuesday night in Salakta, and three others were found in Chebba," said Farid Ben Jha, the spokesperson for the courts of Mahdia and Monastir, adding that the deceased were immigrants from sub-Saharan African countries.

He stated that the 13 bodies, which were in a state of decomposition, were transferred to a hospital for necessary procedures to determine their identities.

Ben Jha added that an investigation has been launched to determine the causes of death, Xinhua news agency reported.

Located in the central Mediterranean, Tunisia is one of the most popular transit points for illegal immigration to Europe.