Mass grave found north of Babel

BABEL / IraqiNews.com: A mass grave holding the remains of eight unknown persons was found north of Babel city, a local police source said on Sunday. “Babel police forces found a mass grave in Muwaylaha area (60 km north of Babel),” the source told IraqiNews.com. The grave contained the body of a woman, the source noted, adding, “the victims were killed nearly one year ago.” “Another nearby grave is currently being excavated,” the source said. Babel, a Shiite province that lies 100 km south of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, has an area of 6,468 square kilometers (2,497.3 sq mi), with an estimated population of 1,385,783 people in 2003. The provincial capital is the town of al-Hilla. The ancient ruins of Babylon (Babil, after which the region is named) are also in the province. SS (P)/SR 1