Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

UN confirms more than 200 mass graves of Daesh victims in Iraq

by

BAGHDAD Nov 06, 2018 - 12:00 am GMT+3
Militia fighters and civilians cover their faces as they stand near bodies recently dug up from a mass grave outside the town of Sulaiman Pek, Iraq Sept. 5, 2014. (Reuters Photo)
Militia fighters and civilians cover their faces as they stand near bodies recently dug up from a mass grave outside the town of Sulaiman Pek, Iraq Sept. 5, 2014. (Reuters Photo)
by Nov 06, 2018 12:00 am

More than 200 mass graves have been uncovered in Iraq in areas formerly controlled by Daesh terrorists, the United Nations said Tuesday.

The graves contain the remains of thousands of people, believed to be the victims of the terrorist group, which between June and December 2014, overran large swathes of northern Iraq and declared it part of their so-called caliphate.

The dead include women, children, the elderly and disabled, as well as members of Iraq's armed forces and police, a U.N. report said.

The United Nations has said previously that almost 33,000 civilians were killed by the group in Iraq, with more than 55,000 injured.

The grave sites are concentrated in four provinces -- Nineveh, Kirkuk, Salahuddin and Anbar -- in the north and western parts of the country, near the border with Syria.

Daesh had entrenched itself in these areas until their defeat in December 2017 by Iraqi forces supported by a U.S.-led coalition.

The United States estimates between 6,000-12,000 bodies are contained in the 202 graves documented in the report. But exact numbers were difficult to establish, it said, since only 28 mass graves have been excavated so far, with just 1,258 bodies exhumed.

These deaths occurred in what the United Nations has called a systematic and widespread campaign of violence, "which may amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide."

During its three-year rule, the group terrorized local residents, conducting well-publicized executions of people targeted for their perceived opposition, government ties, sexual orientation and more.

The terrorists also targeted members of ethnic and religious minorities, including Christians and Yazidis.

The smallest mass grave, found in Mosul, contains eight bodies while the biggest, the al-Khasfa sinkhole south of Mosul, is thought to contain roughly 4,000 bodies.

The United Nations said the sites must be protected from interference or contamination to ensure justice and accountability.

But the Iraqi government body tasked with preserving mass graves says it is underfunded and understaffed, and cannot adequately protect and investigate the sites which are still littered with unexploded ordinance.

"Determining the circumstances surrounding the significant loss of life will be an important step in the mourning process for families and their journey to secure their rights to truth and justice," said U.N. Representative for Iraq Jan Kubis.

About the author
Research Associate at Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Nov 06, 2018 1:16 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    homepage
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    New Year's, sunrise and vaccinations: Top pictures of the week
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021