A mother-of-two from Wellington and her new British partner have been found executed in Libya.

The pair were reportedly having a picnic on a beach before they were killed.

A photograph which is claimed to be of the dead pair has been posted on social media. The picture, which was taken at night, shows them both lying face down on sand.

Health worker Lynn Howie, 47, was visiting her new partner Mark De Salis, 46, in Libya, Fairfax NZ reported over the weekend, citing unnamed friends.

Mr De Salis was working for First Engineering as a power manager bringing generators to Tripoli to provide electricity.

He had worked in Libya for six years and liked the Libyan people.

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Mark De Salis was found dead with a woman he was reportedly having an affair with. Photo: Supplied





It has not been revealed how the couple met.

Ms Howie was formerly known as Lynn Gray, according to New Zealand media, and is believed to have been recently divorced from an army officer.

An according to her Linkedin profile, Ms Howie had lived for a number of years in Britain.

No arrests have been made over the killing of the pair, the NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says.

The news comes despite reports from local media outlet Libya Alhurra that four people had been arrested for shooting Mr De Salis and Ms Lynn Howie near the coastal area of Mellitah, west of Tripoli.

In a statement on Monday, an MFAT spokesman said it had been advised by the Libyan authorities that no arrests had been made, though an investigation was underway.

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Libya has become a dangerous place for people to visit, with significant civil unrest in the country. Photo: Getty Images





"We welcome the efforts that are being made to bring those responsible for Ms Howie's death to justice," the spokesman said.

Police sources said it was possible the presence of an unmarried couple had outraged extremist Muslims who might have followed them to the beach. Execution-style killings are not unknown in such circumstances.

Their deaths follow the killing of a US teacher was shot dead in the eastern city of Benghazi.

Libya has descended into a state of lawlessness as rival militias struggle for power and wealth following the overthrow of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi nearly two years ago.

with AAP