1,300 bodies of Islamic State members found in Mosul

Mosul (Iraqinews.com) – As many as 1,300 bodies of Islamic State (IS) members were found in Mosul city since Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced its liberation last year.

“Most of the bodies were belonging to IS leaders and security officials, who were killed at the hands of Iraqi servicemen during a security operation to liberate Mosul city from terrorism,” Colonel Mohamed al- Bujairi told Iraqi website Al-Qurtas News Monday.

He added that the troops buried the IS bodies at remote graveyards in western Mosul.

Last month, the governor of Nineveh province announced that the Old City in Mosul has been declared to be empty of bodies under the rubble.

The total number of recovered bodies since the end of war against Islamic State in Mosul that ended more than ten months ago reached 9,000, according to municipal sources.

In a speech during the international media conference held at the journalists syndicate in Baghdad on Saturday, December 9, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the end of war against Islamic State after Iraqi troops gained full control on the Iraqi-Syrian borders.

Thousands of Islamic State militants as well as Iraqi civilians were killed since the government campaign, backed by paramilitary troops and a U.S.-led international coalition, was launched in October 2016 to fight the militant group, which declared a self-styled “caliphate” from Mosul in June 2014.