Mass graves unearthed in Kirkuk; nearly 100 victims recovered

Shafaq News/ Nearly 100 victims have been recovered from mass graves in Iraq's Kirkuk province, Raafat Ali, a member of the Human Rights Association, stated.

Ali said in a statement that specialized teams from the Mass Graves Department of the Medico-Legal Directorate, working with the Department of Mass Graves Affairs and Protection, have commenced excavation operations.

"The technical team has initiated excavation and recovery operations at eight mass grave sites in the Al-Bakara area of Hawija district, Kirkuk province. These graves contain the remains of victims executed by ISIS," Ali said.

He confirmed that 96 sets of remains were recovered during the initial phase and have been sent to forensic facilities in Baghdad for DNA identification.

The Iraqi government continues to grapple with the extensive legacy of mass graves scattered across the country. These graves are mainly tied to ISIS and the Baath Party regime and wars with neighboring nations.

The Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq estimates that approximately 400,000 people are buried in mass graves across the country. Iraq also has one of the world's highest numbers of missing persons, ranging from 250,000 to one million.

Since 2003, Iraqi authorities have opened 288 mass graves, according to Human Rights Watch. However, the country faces challenges in identifying remains, relying on a single DNA laboratory at the Medico-Legal Directorate in Baghdad.