US military: 14 bodies unearthed in mass grave northeast of Baghdad

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
American troops and Iraqis unearthed 14 badly decomposed bodies in a mass grave northeast of Baghdad, the US military said Sunday. The site of the grisly discovery was near Muqdadiyah, an area that has seen frequent fighting between American troops and Sunni insurgents led by al-Qaida in the volatile Diyala province. The military said the bodies, which were found Saturday, appeared to have been in the grave for periods ranging from two to six months, and some showed signs of torture. The bodies were unearthed not far from another mass grave discovered last week in which 37 bodies were found. Mass graves have been turning up with increasing frequency as US-led operations have cleared insurgent strongholds with an influx of troops and a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq that have allowed access to former no-go zones. Muqdadiyah is about 90 kilometers north of Baghdad.