- BAGHDAD: A mass grave filled with dozens of bodies has been unearthed in an area northeast of Baghdad that used to be controlled by Al-Qaeda in Iraq, the government said Saturday.
Kamil Amin, spokesman for the Human Rights Ministry, said the grave was found Friday in an agricultural area south of the city of Baqouba, 35 miles (60 kilometers) northeast of Baghdad. He estimated the grave was likely dug between 2006 and 2008.
Authorities began finding mass graves across Iraq after the US-led invasion in 2003, many filled with Shiites and Kurds who opposed former dictator Saddam Hussein. Newer graves, usually dug around 2007, that are found near former Al-Qaeda strongholds like Baqouba are usually filled with security officials and Shiites.
Amin said dozens of bodies were in the grave near Baqouba, but could not provide a specific figure. A joint committee from the Human Rights Ministry and local officials will open the grave to take DNA from the bodies in hopes of identifying them.
