Tripoli, Nov 9 (IANS): Libyan authorities have announced the recovery of six unidentified bodies from three newly discovered mass graves in the city of Tarhuna.

One grave contained four bodies and each of the remaining two graves contained one body, Xinhua news agency quoted the General Authority for Research and Identification of Missing Persons as saying.

Search is underway for more mass graves in the city, the Authority said.

Since the beginning of the search in Tarhuna in June 2020, more than 40 mass graves were discovered and more than 200 unidentified bodies were recovered so far.

Tarhuna, located some 90 km south of the capital Tripoli, was once the eastern-based army's main military operation centre during the war against the former UN-backed Government of National Accord in and around Tripoli.

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