At least 40 corpses found in Baghdad

All of the victims showed signs of torture, had been shot, and had their hands and feet bound, a police official said.

The bodies of 40 men, more apparent victims of sectarian death squads, have been found in Baghdad over the past 24 hours, police said on Thursday.

HT Image

All of the victims showed signs of torture, had been shot, and had their hands and feet bound, police Lt Thayer Mahmoud said.

They were dumped in several neighbourhoods in both eastern and western Baghdad, he said.

The top US military spokesman in Iraq, Maj Gen William B Caldwell, on Wednesday said murders and executions are currently the number one cause of civilian deaths in Baghdad.

Much of the violence has been attributed to death squads, many of which are thought to be offshoots of mainly Shiite militias.