12,000 feared dead: Mosul's mass graves a testament to ISIS brutality

Shafaq News/ Nineveh Governor Abdul Qadir Al-Dakhil called, on Tuesday, for the opening of mass graves containing ISIS victims in Mosul.

He told Shafaq News, "The issue of mass graves must be given the attention it deserves, with efforts focused on uncovering these sites in Nineveh, particularly the notorious al-Khasfa Pit."

Al-Dakhil described the al-Khasfa grave as "a grim testament to the brutality of ISIS and, before them, al-Qaeda, highlighting the atrocities they committed against the people of Mosul and Nineveh."

He also emphasized the need for increased efforts from both local and central governments, as well as international support from global organizations, to open these graves.

Mass graves across Iraq serve as a reminder of the atrocities committed by ISIS between 2014 and 2017. These unmarked sites, primarily found in Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Saladin, contain the remains of thousands of victims, including Yazidis, Shia Muslims, and other minorities. The United Nations has identified over 200 mass graves, with estimates suggesting up to 12,000 victims. Some graves also date back to earlier violence, including crimes committed by al-Qaeda. Iraq may have as many as 400,000 missing persons, and the number of mass graves could be even higher.