UPDATED: Bodies of people kidnapped by Islamic State in Iraq found
Islamic State execute 4 members on charges of cowardice west of Mosul
Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) A human rights official in Iraq said the bodies of six people kidnapped by Islamic State militants were found in Salahuddin province.
Sputnik agency quoted Ali a-Bayyati, a member of Iraq’s human rights commission, saying that “eight abductees were found dead near Tal al-Sharaf, Salman Beik, Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad.
He said the victims were maimed by the militants.
The news were confirmed by Ali al-Husseini, a commander of the Popular Mobilization Forces, who told Shafaq News website that the corpses were “badly mutilated” which made it hard to identify them.
The Iraq’ Security Media Center, a media arm of the Joint Operations Command, said earlier on Wednesday that troops found dead bodies on the Baghdad-Kirkuk road, but could not confirm if they belonged to the kidnapped persons. The center urged media outlets on Tuesday not to drift with rumors about the execution of the victims.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi hinted Tuesday that the incident was being used to “weaken the country”.
Last Saturday, a video was posted purporting to show Islamic State militants threatening to execute six abductees if the Iraqi government does not release female detainees linked with the extremist group.
Iraq declared the end of Islamic State influence on a its territories late last year, but since then, the group launched several attacks against security and civilians, especially in Kirkuk.