Iraq finds 22 bodies dumped in mass grave

KERBALA, Iraq (Reuters) – Police have discovered the decomposing bodies of 22 men dumped in a mass grave in southern Iraq, police and hospital sources said on Wednesday.

The bodies of the men, who were shepherds, were found in a deserted area west of the holy Shi’ite city of Kerbala, 80 km (50 miles) southwest of Baghdad.

“Some were blindfolded. Others were handcuffed. They went missing in late 2007 and their families have identified them,” said Abdul-Rahman Mshawi, police spokesman in Kerbala.

A doctor in the al-Husseini hospital in Kerbala said some of the men had been shot and others had been stabbed.

Sunni Islamist al-Qaeda militants have been known for carrying out such mass attacks.

The number of dead bodies discovered across Iraq has fallen in recent months as violence drops to four-year lows.