More than 30 bodies found in Iraq mass grave

BAGHDAD - Iraqi troops have discovered more than 30 bodies in a mass grave at a house south of Baghdad, the US military announced Thursday.

"Initial reports indicate the remains have been buried for more than a year," at the house in the town of Mahmudiyah, the military said in a statement.

It said the Iraqi army was excavating the surrounding area.

Mahmudiyah, in the so-called Sunni "triangle of death" region, has been the centre of intense activity by Al-Qaeda led insurgents in recent years.

Human rights group believe there are hundreds of mass graves in Iraq, mostly of people killed during the regime of Saddam Hussein.

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04/10/2008 19:30 GMT