Egyptian security forces arrested 18 Egyptians while they were attempting to illegally cross into Libya by car, reported Al-Ahram Arabic website Tuesday.

According to Al-Ahram, security forces arrested the 18 on the desert road between Egypt and Libya. The detained come from Minya governorate in Upper Egypt. They are currently being referred to prosecution. 

In April, Egypt renewed warnings to citizens to avoid all travel to Libya as the security situation remains dangerous following the beheading of 20 Coptic Egyptian migrant workers by the Islamic State group. 

On Monday, Egyptian forces near the border with Libya issued a high-level alert after Libyan security forces based at the Musaid Crossing disappeared a few days ago.

The International Organisation for Migration estimates that between 330,000 and 1.5 million Egyptians worked in Libya until the ongoing unrest which began with the NATO-backed war that toppled Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.