Mass grave found in Iraq
Mass grave found in Iraq
Iraqi authorities uncovered a mass grave with 900 corpses near the central city of Diwaniyah on Wednesday. It is believed the corpses are of Kurds killed during the rule of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein.
The mass grave was uncovered in the Shanafiya region, 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of Diwaniyah.
Initial indications show the remains are of Kurds. They were transferred to laboratories in the city of Najaf to help in identification. Apparently the corpses dated back to the 1980s.
Last April, authorities said they had found another mass grave in Anbar province of western Iraq containing the bodies of more than 800 people, including women and children, executed during Saddam's regime.
Kurds were persecuted because they were the main opposition to Saddam.
The number of people missing since Saddam came to power in 1979, is estimated at anywhere between 300,000 and 1.3 million, according to various sources.
The mass grave was uncovered in the Shanafiya region, 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of Diwaniyah.
Initial indications show the remains are of Kurds. They were transferred to laboratories in the city of Najaf to help in identification. Apparently the corpses dated back to the 1980s.
Last April, authorities said they had found another mass grave in Anbar province of western Iraq containing the bodies of more than 800 people, including women and children, executed during Saddam's regime.
Kurds were persecuted because they were the main opposition to Saddam.
The number of people missing since Saddam came to power in 1979, is estimated at anywhere between 300,000 and 1.3 million, according to various sources.
