Iraq says 40 bodies found in mass grave in Ramadi

Iraqi forces have found more than 40 bodies, including those of women and children, in a mass grave in the city of Ramadi west of Baghdad, which they recently retook from Islamic State militants, officials say.

Interior Ministry spokesman Brig. Gen. Saad Maan says the grave in central Ramadi contains the bodies of civilians as well as police. Video footage from the site shows local security forces and a small forensics team wearing face masks and digging with shovels.

Ramadi, the provincial capital of the sprawling Anbar province, fell to IS in May, marking a major setback for U.S.-allied Iraqi forces. Iraqi troops retook the city center last month with heavy coalition air support.

Similar mass graves have been found in other areas liberated from the IS group in Syria and Iraq. The extremist group has boasted of massacring Shiites and other opponents, often releasing gruesome videos and pictures of the killings.

— AP

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