CAIRO -- Libya's navy says it has recovered the bodies of 11 migrants and rescued 263 others in two separate operations off Libya's western coast.

Navy spokesman Ayoub Jassem says the migrants, who were found on Sunday, were taken to a navy base in the capital, Tripoli, and a refugee camp in the town of Zawiya.

Libya was plunged into chaos following a 2011 uprising and is now split between rival governments in the east and west, each backed by an array of militias.

Libya has since been a frequently used route to Europe for migrants fleeing poverty and conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.

Libya has worked to stem the flow of migrants, with assistance from the European Union.