Three mass graves found in western Iraq

Three mass graves have been discovered in Iraq’s western province of Anbar containing the bodies of civilians and members of the security forces, officials say.

It was not yet clear how many bodies the graves contained, a police lieutenant colonel says, adding that the victims had been executed by the Islamic State jihadist group.

The three sites are in the Saqlawiyah region, north of Fallujah, in the Karma area, east of Fallujah, and behind the old central library in central Ramadi, the province’s capital.

“Samples have been taken from the graves and it has been confirmed that the bodies belong to civilians and soldiers,” the officer says, speaking on condition of anonymity. He said there appeared to be several dozen bodies in the three graves but added no definitive number was yet available.

— AFP