Tripoli , Libya ( CNN ) -- Authorities on Friday identified a British man and a woman from New Zealand as the two foreigners killed in Libya and their bodies found on a beach west of Tripoli . Libya 's foreign ministry said they were discovered shot on Thursday in Mellitah , west of the city of Sabratha , according to a statement by the official Libyan News Agency . `` The foreign ministry ... is following up with great interest on the progress of the investigation into the killings , '' the statement said . The British government confirmed one of them was a Briton , and New Zealand 's foreign ministry said the other was one of its citizens . Neither were identified and there was no further information about how or when they died . `` The exact circumstance of their deaths is not yet clear and will be subject to an investigation by the Libyan authorities , '' said the New Zealand ministry in a statement , adding that its slain national was visiting Libya . The Sabratha Local Council -- the area 's governing body -- also acknowledged the killings in a statement . `` The Sabratha Local Council and the residents of the area offer their deepest condolences to the families of the deceased and to the states of Britain and New Zealand , as this act is contrary to our morals and values of our religion , '' the council said . The two foreigners had been reported missing and police were searching for them when their bodies were discovered , the Sabratha Media Center , a local activist news group , said . It was not immediately clear from the media center how long they had been missing or when exactly they died . Their bodies were found on Tallil Seyahi Beach about 50 miles ( 85 kilometers ) west of Tripoli , added the group , which noted they had been killed . An initial police investigation showed the two had been on a picnic in a somewhat remote area near a partially built resort . A photo posted on the Sabratha Media Center Facebook page purports to show the man and woman , who are lying facedown in the sand . Near the bodies is a blanket that is spread out , with food and drinks strewn about . A backpack is nearby . CNN could not immediately confirm the authenticity of the photo , which the Sabratha Media Center said it obtained and posted on Facebook . The police investigation indicated tire marks in the area . Investigators are looking for possible motives , officials said . There has been a rise in crime in the area in recent weeks , including a Libyan man who was killed in a reported carjacking , according to the media center . The beaches in and around Sabratha are among some of the most developed on Libya 's western coastline . They were a popular destination for picnics and swimming among foreigners before the 2011 uprising that ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi . CNN 's Sara Mazloumsaki , Greg Botelho and Chelsea J. Carter contributed to this report .
NEW : New Zealand ministry says one of its citizens who was visiting Libya was killed . NEW : Libya 's foreign ministry says the two victims were shot dead . The two appeared to be having a picnic when they were killed , Sabratha Media Center says . The bodies were found in a remote area near a partially built resort .