Mass grave found in Tripoli

Officials with Libya's transitional government announced Sunday they have located a suspected mass grave thought to hold the remains of 1,270 people, victims of a 1996 massacre at Abu Salim prison, the CNN reports. The Tripoli site was located by revolutionaries on August 20, said Kamal el Sherif, a member of a National Transitional Council committee.

Street demonstrations in the eastern city of Benghazi by relatives of those who died in the massacre provided a catalyst for the nationwide protest movement that erupted in February. The protests evolved into an armed insurrection that eventually toppled Kadafi after more than 40 years of authoritarian rule.

For years, kin of those who disappeared had been pressing the government to disclose what happened to the prisoners.

"There is a lot more to be done to reach the actual truth of this massacre," said Dr. Salem Fergani, a committee member. "To be honest, we were not prepared to deal with such human massacres, so we request the assistance of the international community. We need specialists in the field to help us in identifying the victims ... this is a national mission. The families of these victims have the right to learn the truth about their deceased sons."

The bones are scattered around an area with about a 100-meter radius, Fergani said. Members of the media were taken to the site on Sunday. Family members of the Abu Salim victims also turned up at the site.