Friday, March 29, 2024

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Mass grave of Peshmerga fighters found in Kirkuk

 Mass grave of Peshmerga fighters found in Kirkuk

An ISIS mass grave in Iraq. File Photo .

An ISIS mass grave in Iraq. File Photo .
Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Authorities in Kirkuk province have run into a mass grave containing the bodies of Kurdish Peshmerga troops, officials say.

Shakhwan Abdullah, a member of the Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee, said on Sunday that the grave, found in Daqouq region, contained the relics of 20 fighters fro m the Kurdistan Region’s army force who are believed to have been killed and buried by Islamic State extremists.

Islamic State has executed hundreds of civilians and security members since it took over large areas in Iraq to proclaim a self-styled “Islamic Caliphate”. The group carried out the executions of its victims, which it proudly posted through its media, over accusations of collaboration with the Iraqi security authorities or for attempting to flee areas under its control.

Iraqi forces and allied militias have found several mass graves in Islamic State-held areas since the Iraqi government, backed by a U.S.-led military coalition, launched a major security offensive in October 2016 to recapture the city of Mosul, Islamic State’s largest stronghold in Iraq.

Peshmerga forces have actively engaged in the security campaign against Islamic State militants, mainly in areas where sovereignty is disputed with the central government in Baghdad.

IS still holds some pockets in southwestern Kirkuk.

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