Mass grave with 50 bodies found in northern Iraq

Iraqi troops accompanied by police forces, and combatants from the Shia Popular Mobilization Units on Saturday continued with their efforts to take control of one of the Islamic State's last strongholds in the province of Anbar after having discovered a mass grave containing the remains of up to 50 people, officials said

Iraqi forces have found the mass grave on Friday with the bodies of victims killed by IS militants in al-Hawija, northern Iraq, Efe reported.

"A mass grave has been found with 50 bodies of members from Iraqi army and police killed by IS combatants in al-Bakara town, located in al-Hawija," Iraq's joint operation command said in a statement.

The statement added that Iraqi units will take "legal steps to open the mass grave" in order to analyze the bodies.

Earlier this month, Iraqi forces launched a military campaign and liberated al-Hawija, which was considered the last stronghold for IS radicals in northern Iraq.

During the offensive against IS militants, Iraqi authorities have found several mass graves, including one with about 500 bodies in Badush prison, located about 25 kilometers (some 15 miles) from the northern city of Mosul.

--IANS

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