TUNIS, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisian Maritime Guard has retrieved eight bodies of illegal African immigrants who drowned off the coast near the southeastern Sfax Province, a local official told Xinhua on Wednesday.

       "On Tuesday and Wednesday, security units recovered seven decomposing bodies off the island of Kerkennah and another body off the coast of Sfax," Faouzi Masmoudi, the spokesman of Sfax's Court of First Instance, said.

       Masmoudi added that an investigation is underway to determine the identity of the bodies.

       Tunisia, located in the central Mediterranean, is one of the main departure points for illegal immigrants heading to Europe. Despite strict measures taken by the Tunisian authorities, illegal immigration from the Tunisian coast toward Europe has been on the rise.