BAGHDAD, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi police found at least 40 bodies in different neighborhoods of Baghdad during the past 24 hours, a well-known police source said on Thursday.

    "Our patrols found up to 40 bodies during the past 24 hours in different parts of Baghdad," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

    The bodies were blindfolded, bound and showing signs of torture with bullet holes on different parts of their bodies, the source said.

    The almost daily gruesome body findings, assassinations and explosions in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities were seen as a major setback for the Iraqi government's efforts to stem violence and achieve national reconciliation. Enditem

Indonesian intelligence assured of top militant death in Iraq

    JAKARTA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Indonesian National Intelligence Agency (BIN) Wednesday said it has got confirmation from foreign counterpart about the death of Omar al-Farouq, a suspected al-Qaeda operative in Southeast Asia.

Declassified report: Iraq war "cause celebre" for extremists

    BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhuanet) -- A secret U.S. intelligence report released on Tuesday said the Iraq war had become a "cause celebre" for Islamic extremists, breeding deep resentment of the U.S. that probably will get worse if their efforts fail.