South Sudan’s government said on Thursday they had begun investigating the killings of South Sudanese migrants in the airstrike that hit a migrant detention center in Libya.

Mawien Makol, South Sudan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, said they had received reports that several South Sudanese migrants were killed in the attack on the migrant centre in Tajoura, a coastal town east of the capital Tripoli.

“We heard of reports that some of our people were killed in the airstrike. We want to know the number of those killed in the airstrike,” said Mawien.

He further said South Sudan embassy in Egypt is currently investigating the deadly attack in which several South Sudanese migrants were reported killed.

Earlier this week, several migrants in Libya told Radio Tamazuj that at least nine South Sudanese migrants were among the victims of the airstrike that hit a migrant detention center.

The victims were identified as Deng Nyor, Simon Wani, Jal Peter, Juma, Tap, Yasir, James Deng, Manet Osman and Emmanuel Bol.

At least 53 people were reported killed and more than 130 others injured when an airstrike hit the Tajoura refugee camp and detention center for mainly African migrants on July 3.

The UN Security Council called on Libya's warring parties to urgently de-escalate fighting and commit to a cease-fire, and it condemned the deadly attack on a migrant detention center.

Libya is one of the main departure points for African migrants who want to reach Italy by boat.