Tens of Yazidi victims found in mass grave in Nineveh
Security forces find mass grave in Mosul. File photo.
Brig. Gen. Mohamed al-Shemari, of the Iraqi army, said troops ran into a mass grave in Baaj town, west of Mosul. Tens of victims, executed by Islamic State members, were found there.
The grave was composed of relics of 98 Yazidi victims, who were killed by IS when they were controlling the region in 2014. The relics will be recovered to be identified and handed over to their families.
On Saturday, the semi-official Al-Sabah newspaper quoted Shukr Melham Ilyas, head of Qahtaniyah town, as saying that troops confiscated a grave with relics of 73 Yazidi women, men and children in Rambousi region, west of Mosul.
Many Yazidis were persecuted and held in Mosul by Islamic State, which considered them devil-worshippers.
A study on the number of Yazidis affected showed that at least 9,900 of Iraq’s Yazidis were killed or kidnapped in just days in an attack by the militants in 2014.
On July 10, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared victory over IS militants who had held the second largest Iraqi city since 2014. More than 25000 militants were killed throughout the campaign, which started in October 2016.
Since the city was declared free, security troops continue to comb western Mosul areas for hidden IS cells. Despite the victory over IS there in the city, observers say IS is believed to constitute a security threat even after the group’s defeat at its main havens across Iraqi provinces.