ISIS horror at Al-Bakara Base: Seeking answers amid shadows of Syria

Shafaq News/ Iraq continues to grapple with the devastating aftermath of mass graves scattered across the country. The recent discovery of mass graves near Al-Bakara Base, containing the remains of hundreds of victims, revives traumatic memories of executions carried out by ISIS and the Baathist regime.

Handover of Al-Bakara Base

On May 16, 2011, the Iraqi forces took control of the Al-Bakara Base, the largest US military camp near the Hawija district southwest of Kirkuk. This handover was in line with the strategic agreement between Iraq and the United States.

The representative of the US forces commander in Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Ulrich, expressed high confidence in the Iraqi army and its security partners, noting that they are ready for this transition, which took eight years to complete.

Meanwhile, the US forces commander in Kirkuk, stated that the situation in Kirkuk is complex and requires the support and cooperation of citizens with security forces.

For his part, Deputy Governor of Kirkuk, Rakan al-Jubouri, pointed out that “handing over the Al-Bakara Base eliminates the pretexts and excuses used by terrorists to carry out armed operations.”

Despite the announcement of the readiness of Iraqi forces to assume security responsibilities in Kirkuk province, statements from some officials indicate the need for US forces to remain until unresolved political issues in the province are addressed.

Years after its strategic significance waned, Al-Bakara Base has become a somber reminder of Iraq's tumultuous history, with the recent discovery of mass graves near the site reigniting painful memories.

ISIS’s Atrocities at Al-Bakara

The Al-Bakara Base became a grim symbol of ISIS's brutal reign. Once a major detention center during the extremist group's occupation, the site witnessed mass executions, as confirmed by survivors and local authorities. Iraqi federal forces reclaimed the base, but the horrors it concealed have only recently come to light.

Khalaf al-Jubouri, a resident, explained that the base served as a key location where ISIS detained and executed civilians en masse before transferring some prisoners to other facilities, including Mosul and later Syria. “The ongoing discovery of mass graves at Al-Bakara highlights the systemic violence and disregard for human life perpetrated by ISIS in the areas it controlled.”

Earlier, Raafat Ali, a member of the Human Rights Association, announced that approximately 100 bodies have been exhumed from the Al-Bakara mass graves in Kirkuk Province. “Excavation and recovery operations have begun at eight mass grave sites in the Hawija district of Kirkuk.”

“Forensic efforts are underway to identify the victims through DNA testing.”

According to the Strategic Center for Human Rights in Iraq, approximately 400,000 people are buried in mass graves across Iraq. The country 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.

Syria’s Connection and Implications

The collapse of the Syrian regime has renewed focus on the fate of detainees transferred from Iraq to Syrian prisons during ISIS's rule. With the opening of former detention facilities in Syria, the families of missing Iraqis are grappling with uncertainty about the fate of their loved ones.

The mother of one of ISIS's victims at Al-Bakara, Umm Mohammed al-Obeidi, told Shafaq News that recent events in Syria and the discovery of the Al-Bakara mass grave have reopened her anguish over her missing son. "I don’t know his fate, whether he is among the bodies in the Al-Bakara grave or was forcibly disappeared by ISIS and transferred to prisons in Syria," she revealed.

Ahmed al-Ali, a human rights expert, noted that “the discoveries in Syria could shed light on the broader network of ISIS detention centers and their victims,” calling for urgent investigations to uncover the truth about prisoners moved between Iraq and Syria and to ensure accountability for the group’s atrocities.