Syria Shows Diplomats, Media 'New Mass Grave'

Syrian authorities on Monday showed journalists and ambassadors a "new mass grave" that military sources said contained at least 29 bodies near the restive northern town of Jisr al-Shughour.

An Agence France Presse photographer who was among a group of journalists taken by the authorities to the area said he counted eight bodies which were removed from a rubbish dump.

A military source later said at least 29 bodies had been found, the photographer said.

It is the third "mass grave" revealed by the Syrian authorities.

On June 15 they showed journalists one such burial site containing at least five corpses also buried under a pile of rubbish near Jisr al-Shughour.

The town, which had by then been deserted by its 50,000 residents, has been the focus of military operations involving tanks since June 12.

Syrian troops seized Jisr al-Shughour after battling with "armed gangs" and "purging" the state hospital of armed groups, state television reported last week.

U.S. ambassador Robert Ford was among the envoys from some 30 countries invited by the foreign ministry to see the "mass grave," said the AFP correspondent.

The delegation was also taken to the local security forces headquarters where the authorities say 82 policemen were killed on June 6 by armed men.

A first "mass grave," the existence of which was reported by the official SANA news agency after the army seized control of Jisr al-Shughour, was said to contain the bodies of security agents, who authorities said were killed by armed groups.

But human rights activists say those killed were unarmed protesters and deny there was a massacre in Jisr al-Shughour, saying bloodshed erupted during a mutiny by soldiers who refused to fire on the town's residents.