Baghdad: Thirty-five decomposed bodies of men killed in apparent sectarian attacks were found today in the southern outskirts of Baghdad, a security official said.

He said the corpses were found in the suburb of Hawr Rijab, by members of the Al-Sahwa (Awakening Council) from Baghdad's southern Dora neighbourhood, a group made up of former Sunni rebels turned allies of US and Iraqi forces.

"The 35 decomposed corpses were found in buildings that were just half constructed," he said.

"The buildings seem to have been a dumping place for such bodies of men who must have travelled from the southern regions but were killed on their way into Baghdad."

He said the bodies were brought to a Shiite mosque in the Abu Chir neighbourhood in southern Baghdad and later handed over to the police.

"The men were killed at least seven months ago," he added.

Scores of corpses have been found on the streets of Baghdad and other violent regions of Iraq since the Shiite-Sunni sectarian conflict broke out last February.

But in recent months sectarian violence has ebbed on the back of military assaults launched by US and Iraqi forces across Iraq.

Source : PTI