Militants Kidnap, Kill 20 Iraqi Soldiers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Militants attacked a military base north of Iraq, kidnapped 20 soldiers and later shot them dead, police and a morgue employee said on Sunday.
The soldiers were abducted by a large group of militants in several vehicles from a small base in the Ain al-Jahash area south of Mosul late on Saturday night, and their bodies found nearby an hour later.
Militants opposed to the Iraqi government frequently target members of the security forces, but it is rare for such a large number of soldiers to be kidnapped at once, especially from a military position.
The government has repeatedly blamed the unrest on external factors such as the civil war in neighboring Syria, AFP reported.
