Iraqi torture victims’ bodies dumped behind mosque

AT least two dozen bodies, many bearing signs of torture, were found dumped in Shi’ite areas of Baghdad yesterday, while the government almost doubled the death toll from clashes this week between militiamen and Iraqi forces, saying 73 people had died.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s office announced that 50 gunmen loyal to firebrand cleric Muqtada al-Sadr had been killed in clashes in the southern city of Diwaniyah with the Iraqi army, which lost 23 troops.

The death toll was significantly higher than the 40 people initially reported to have been killed Monday before a deal between the Shi’ite militiamen and the government ended a fierce, 12-hour street battle.