IGUALA, Mexico — Authorities have found mass graves with the charred remains of up to 20 people in the restive southern Mexican state of Guerrero, at a time when police are scouring the area for nearly four dozen missing students after a rash of violence. The remains were buried on a hillside up a rocky dirt track on the outskirts of Iguala in six suspected graves, which were still fresh, a local official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Investigators discovered the burned remains, which were put into bags, two officials said, asking to remain anonymous. It was unclear who the remains belonged to, they added.
Guerrero Attorney General Inaky Blanco told reporters in Iguala on Saturday that the remains would be sent to Mexico's forensic service to determine whether or not the corpses match those of the missing students. He declined to say how many graves or corpses had been found. The grisly discovery was made just before midday on the northwestern outskirts of Iguala.
"In the next few hours we will determine the cause of death and the number of bodies," a spokesman for the state attorney general's office said.
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