London, Nov 15 Hundreds of Iraqi civilians have alleged the British soldiers of sexual and physical abuse, prompting comparisons with the torture practices employed by US soldiers at the Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad.

The fresh claims are among 33 new torture cases being investigated by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), which includes mock executions, dog attacks and exposure to pornography.

It also includes allegations that female and male soldiers sexually abused and humiliated detainees in camps in Iraq.

"I have it on good authority that there are hundreds of cases that are going uninvestigated. My guess is that many of them will remain buried," The Independent quoted Phil Shiner, the lawyer representing all the former detainees, as saying.

According to reports, in a particular case the British soldiers are accused of piling Iraqi prisoners on top of each other and subjecting them to electric shocks.

Pressure on the MoD is expected to intensify in the coming weeks at the Baha Mousa inquiry, which is hearing evidence into the death of an Iraqi civilian beaten to death by British troops in 2003. (ANI)