BAGHDAD: The bodies of 18 people kidnapped hours earlier by a group of men wearing military uniforms were found just north of Baghdad on Friday, security and medical officials said.

All of the corpses had gunshots to the head and chest, and were found abandoned in farmland near the town of Tarmiyah, two police officers and a medical source said.

The dead included two tribal chiefs, four policemen and an army major.

The kidnappers, wearing military uniform and travelling in what appeared to be army vehicles, had told the victims' families that they were suspects in a variety of investigations and had to be taken away for questioning.

Their bodies were found hours later, the sources said.