Originally published by the Voice of America (www.voanews.com).
Voice of America is funded by the US Federal Government and content it
exclusively produces is in the public domain.
November 7, 2007

Iraqi Troops Find 17 Bodies in Mass Grave Near Baquba
-----------------------------------------------------

http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=1A2A4F9:A6F02AD83191E1609FE53F74E294762970AD7039DCD7B7E4 Authorities say
degree of decomposition suggests most of the bodies had been there for
several months





Iraqi army soldiers inspect the site of a roadside bomb explosion on
the outskirts of Baqouba, capital of  Diyala province,  07 Nov
2007Iraqi military officials say troops have found 17 decomposed
bodies near the northern city of Baquba, the capital of Diyala
province.

The area is believed to be a stronghold of al-Qaida in Iraq
insurgents. Authorities have yet to identify or determine the cause of
death for the bodies, which were found in a mass grave early
Wednesday. However, they say the degree of decomposition suggests most
of the bodies had been there for several months.

Last week, coalition forces discovered 22 bodies in a mass grave in
the Lake Thar Thar region of the western Anbar province.

In other violence, the police chief of Basra escaped assassination for
the second time this week when a roadside bomb hit his convoy.

In Baghdad, police said gunmen killed a woman teacher in a drive-by
shooting in the city's mainly Sunni district of Mansur. Also in
Mansur, the U.S. military said coalition forces detained seven
al-Qaida in Iraq extremists during operations earlier this Sunday.

Separately, the U.S. military said Tuesday it soon will release nine
Iranians detained in Iraq who pose no further threat to Iraqi
security. A military spokesman, Rear Admiral Gregory Smith, said two
of those being released were detained in Irbil in January, while the
others were taken into custody at various other times.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.




.