ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The body of a 27-year-old Kurdish woman, who was swept away by a river in Erbil months ago in April, has been found north of the Kurdish capital city, her father told Rudaw on Sunday.
Avesta Yousuf’s body was reportedly "found in the Great Zab River near Harir district," north of Erbil, her father told Rudaw.
“This is my daughter’s body,” he confirmed with distress.
The father added that "the body was found wearing the same clothes seen in the last known photograph of Avesta taken on the day of the accident."
Later on Sunday, Erbil Governor Omed Xoshnaw confirmed that the body of Avesta "has been recovered." The announcement followed a forensic medical examination.
Avesta, a resident of Erbil had gone on a family picnic to Mergasor district, north of Erbil on April 5. While there, her brother fell into a nearby river, and when she tried to rescue him, she also fell into the water, according to family members.
She had been missing ever since.
An eyewitness, Yousuf Ahmed, earlier told Rudaw that she was discovered along the riverbank.
The body of 27-year-old Avesta Yousuf, missing since April in Erbil, has reportedly been found north of the city. An eyewitness told Rudaw it was discovered near a riverbank, while Kurdish authorities are urging the public to await official confirmation. pic.twitter.com/1fvLvYDHGW
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) December 14, 2025
Halgurd Sheikh Najib, head of the Soran administration, which oversees Mergasor district, earlier anticipated that "based on the evidence and preliminary investigation, it is highly probable that the recovered body is Avesta’s.”
“The investigation is ongoing, and the body is being examined," he told Rudaw, elaborating that "it was discovered along the Great Zab River, downstream from the Bekhme Dam, within the borders of Akre district" in the Kurdistan Region's northern Duhok province.
According to Rudaw’s on-the-ground reporter, the body was discovered approximately 119 kilometers from the location where Avesta reportedly fell into the river.
The media office of the Civil Defense Directorate - affiliated with the Kurdistan Region’s interior ministry - had also confirmed that the body "was found near the village of Estrian along the Great Zab River."
In a statement on Facebook, the Directorate said a joint team from Erbil Health, Forensic Medicine, Civil Defense, and Crime Evidence departments has been tasked with retrieving the body “in a scientific manner.”
The body is being transported to Erbil "for examination, DNA testing, and identification," the statement added, urging media outlets to await an official announcement.
Last updated at 11:43 pm
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