The bodies of 36 men were today discovered south-east of Baghdad on a road leading to Iran.
Police said the men's bodies were not fully clothed and were left on a road leading to Badrah, a town near the Iranian border.
The area southeast of Baghdad has witnessed killings in the past between Shias and Sunnis. It was not clear if the deaths were the result of sectarian motives.
According to police, however, some of the men were wearing baggy trousers worn by Kurds. They were all shot in the head and some had their hands bound with metal cuffs.