A bomb-rigged mass grave believed to hold the remains of more than 120 people killed by the Islamic State group has been found in north Iraq, an official said Saturday.

It is the sixth mass grave discovered in or near the town of Sinjar since it was recaptured from IS jihadists earlier this month, Mahma Khalil, the official responsible for the area, told AFP.

IS overran Sinjar in August 2014 and carried out a brutal campaign of massacres, enslavement and rape targeting members of the Yazidi minority, who made up most of its inhabitants.

The United Nations has described the attack on the Yazidis, whose faith IS considers heretical, as a possible genocide.

The grave site, which is estimated to contain the remains of 123 people, based on accounts from people who witnessed the executions, was surrounded by a large number of bombs, Khalil said.

Bombs are a key part of both offensive and defensive operations by IS, which overran large parts of Iraq last year.

Explosives continue to pose a major threat even after the jihadists are gone and prevent displaced residents from returning home.

The grave, located some 10 kilometres (six miles) west of Sinjar, has not yet been excavated, but the victims were not buried deeply, and some of their remains have been exposed by rainwater, Khalil said.

Another mass grave found in the area was believed to hold the bodies of some 80 women aged from 40 to around 80 who one official said may have been executed because they were deemed too old to enslave and rape.

The town of Sinjar was recaptured from IS on November 13 in a major operation led by forces from Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, backed by air support from a US-led coalition.

Germany planning to deploy 1,200 troops for IS fight: army chief
Berlin (AFP) Nov 29, 2015 - Germany is planning to deploy 1,200 troops to help France in the fight against Islamic State jihadists in Syria, its army chief said Sunday, in what would be the military's biggest deployment abroad.

"From a military point of view, around 1,200 soldiers would be necessary to run the planes and ship," army chief of staff General Volker Wieker told Bild am Sonntag newspaper, adding that the mission would begin "very quickly once a mandate is obtained".

"The government is seeking a mandate this year," said Wieker.

Berlin on Thursday offered France Tornado reconnaissance jets, a naval frigate, aerial refuelling and satellite images in the fight against the IS group.

Between four and six Tornados would be deployed to deliver images of the ground, even in poor weather and during the night, Wieker said.

Asked why Germany had shied away from participating in direct air strikes, Wieker said the coalition already had "sufficient forces and means" dealing with that aspect of the battle.

"What is needed is reconnaissance on the ground, so that these forces can be deployed effectively. Our Tornados can contribute a lot in that area," he said.

Talks are ongoing with Turkey and Jordan on stationing the planes in Incirlik -- which also serves as a base for US jets, as well as in Amman.

Wieker swiped aside any criticism that Germany had opted for "the least dangerous" tasks, saying: "This allegation is not justified. What is the difference when you fly a bomber jet or a reconnaisance plane over the same area? The levels of threat and danger are the same."

Post-war Germany has been traditionally reluctant to send troops abroad, although it has joined UN-mandated missions in the Balkans and elsewhere, and the NATO coalition in Afghanistan.

Germany has not taken part in air strikes against the IS in Syria and Iraq, which have been mainly flown by US and French aircraft.

After France last week invoked a clause requiring EU member states to provide military assistance after the Paris attacks, Germany swiftly announced its participation in the fight in Syria.