Tripoli, Oct 29 (IANS): At least 12 unidentified bodies were found in mass graves in the Libyan city of Tarhuna, some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli.

Abdul-Aziz Jafri, spokesman of the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons, told Xinhua on Wednesday that the bodies were buried in four newly discovered mass graves in the city.

The total number of unidentified bodies recovered from Tarhuna since the beginning of the search in June has increased to 98, Jafri said.

The forces of the UN-backed Libyan government have been accusing the rival east-based army of mass killings in Tarhuna.

Tarhuna had been the main military operation centre of the east-based army before the city was taken over by the UN-backed government.

The east-based army and the UN-backed government had been engaged in a deadly armed conflict for more than a year in and around Tripoli, which ended in early June with the UN-backed government announcing takeover of all western Libya after withdrawal of the east-based army.

The fighting has killed and injured hundreds of civilians and displaced more than 150,000 others.