Bodies of taxi drivers found in mass grave near Baghdad

AFP - Iraqi security forces on Friday found a mass grave in Dujail north of Baghdad that contained the bodies of 40 men who were killed over the past two years, police officers said.

The victims were mostly taxi drivers, an interior ministry official said, adding that three men have been arrested and confessed to the murders, which he believes were carried out by a gang.

"Iraqi security forces ... found 40 corpses in Al-Awarah area in east Dujail" on Friday afternoon, an officer in the Dujail police told AFP.

The source said the bodies were buried in a mass grave. All were male, and all died from gunshot wounds.

A lieutenant colonel in the Salaheddin provincial police confirmed that 40 corpses had been found in Al-Awarah.

"The earliest victim was killed two years ago, and the latest 10 days ago," he said.

The interior ministry official also confirmed that a mass grave was found, and said that three men had been arrested five days ago for carrying out the killings.

"Iraqi security forces found 40 corpses in Al-Awarah area, most of them taxi drivers," the official said.

One man was was arrested in the Kadhamiyah area of Baghdad for the murders, while two others were arrested in Dujail.