(BSS/AFP) - Tunisia`s national guard said Sunday it had recovered 12 bodies from the sea after a boat carrying migrants sank off the country`s southeastern coast, with two people still missing.

The boat was carrying 15 people, only one of whom was rescued after it sank some 14 nautical miles off the shore of Zarzis on Friday night.

"Search operations resulted in the recovery of three bodies yesterday and nine bodies today, bringing the total to 12," the national guard said in a statement.

Searches for the two missing passengers were ongoing, it added.

On Saturday night, residents in Ben Guerdane -- the marginalised city near the Libyan border where 14 of the migrants were from -- staged protests, blocking roads and setting tires on fire over the shipwreck.

Tunisia, whose coast is some 145 kilometres (90 miles) from the Italian island of Lampedusa, is a key departure point for migrants attempting the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of better lives in Europe.

The central Mediterranean crossing is the deadliest migration route in the world, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The IOM said earlier this month that the number of migrant deaths on the central Mediterranean route had more than doubled in the first four months of 2026 compared to the same period last year.

At least 914 migrants have died or gone missing along the route this year, according to the IOM.

In 2023, Tunisia signed a 255-million-euro ($290 million) deal with the European Union, nearly half of which was earmarked for tackling irregular migration.

The deal, strongly supported by Italy`s hard-right government, aimed to bolster Tunisia`s capacity to prevent boats leaving its shore.