Iraqis Recover 30 Charred Bodies in ISIS-Contested Anbar Town

Officials Claim ISIS Burned as Many as 45 to Death

Local officials in the Anbar Province town of Baghdadi, which has been trading hands back and forth between military forces and ISIS, say that at least 30 burnt bodies have been recovered.

Local police chief Qasim al-Obeidi says that ISIS is believed to have burned to death as many as 45 people during the time they held the town. Not all the bodies have been identified, but security forces are believed to be among them

Baghdadi has been sieged off and on for months, and has been trading hands back and forth in recent days. At this point, there are no reports of Iraqi troops in the town, but ISIS only holds parts of it, and is contesting with local security forces.

ISIS often executes captured security forces, but the burning of the bodies seems to be a new tactic, and may be an effort to draw attention to the recent burning death of captured Jordanian pilot.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.