35 Bodies found dumped in Iraq

Authorities found 35 bullet-riddled bodies, nearly all showing signs of torture, dumped around Baghdad and in a southern Iraqi city today.

In Baghdad, 19 bodies were found during the morning in five neighbourhoods in the south and the west of the capital, while another 14 were found in the space of one hour in eastern and northern areas.

The bodies, all of men, were blindfolded and their feet and hands were tied, police said.

In Kut, 100 miles south-east of Baghdad, police found another two bodies dumped on a road. Both had been shot in the head and chest, said Maamoun Ajil al-Robaiei from the morgue at Kut hospital.

Bodies are frequently dumped on the streets of cities and in rivers across Iraq. They usually show signs of torture, and the majority appear to have been killed by being shot.