Iraqi officials say they have found the bodies of 18 kidnapping victims north of Baghdad.
Reports said all the victims had been shot execution-style within hours of their capture. The group of corpses was found in farmland near the towns of Mishahda and Tarmiyah.
Gunmen posing as military officials snatched the men from their homes late Thursday and early Friday. It was not clear who was behind the attacks, but militants frequently carry out such attacks in the area by posing as security officials.
Among the victims were a policeman and an army official, and at least one tribal chief.
This is the latest in a series of execution-style killings in Iraq.
Violence in Iraq has fallen from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, killing more than 200 people in each of the first four months of this year.
Reports said all the victims had been shot execution-style within hours of their capture. The group of corpses was found in farmland near the towns of Mishahda and Tarmiyah.
Gunmen posing as military officials snatched the men from their homes late Thursday and early Friday. It was not clear who was behind the attacks, but militants frequently carry out such attacks in the area by posing as security officials.
Among the victims were a policeman and an army official, and at least one tribal chief.
This is the latest in a series of execution-style killings in Iraq.
Violence in Iraq has fallen from its peak in 2006 and 2007, but attacks remain common, killing more than 200 people in each of the first four months of this year.