Mass grave of Yazidis executed by Islamic State found in Mosul
This image released by the the Mass Graves Directorate of the Kurdish Regional Government shows a human skull in a mass grave containing Yazidis killed by Islamic State militants in the Sinjar region of northern Iraq in May, 2015. An analysis by The Associated Press has found 72 mass graves left behind by Islamic State extremists in Iraq and Syria, and many more are expected to be discovered as the group loses territory. (Kurdish Mass Graves Directorate via AP)
Nineveh (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi authorities announced on Wednesday the discovery of a new mass grave containing remains of 17 Yazidis who were massacred by Islamic State (IS) in 2014.
Speaking to the Iraqi Alghad Press website, a security source said that the new mass grave was found in Kasar al-Mehrab village, west of Mosul.
“The mass grave contained remains of 17 Yazidis who were killed following an Islamic State attack on the strategic town of Sinjar in August 2014,” added the source.
As Iraqi troops recaptured areas held by Islamic State militants since 2014, they have regularly run into mass graves of civilians and security agents executed by the militants for fleeing the group’s havens or collaborating with security forces.
Iraq’s war against the Islamic State displaced millions of civilians both inside and outside the country, and left thousands dead, according to government and United Nations figures. In 2017 alone, violence left more than 3000 dead and more than 4000 wounded.