Remains of 16 individuals found in Anbar mass graves
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi authorities have discovered the remains of 16 individuals in newly uncovered mass graves in the western province of Anbar, a provincial official said on Sunday, adding that efforts are ongoing to fully exhume the site.
“Exhumation operations began on May 6, and as of today, three graves have been exhumed that contained the remains of 16 individuals,” Muayad al-Dulaimi, spokesperson for Anbar’s provincial government, told Rudaw.
He added that authorities initially believed the site contained 10 mass graves but that “following inspections by teams from the mass graves directorate, it was confirmed to be seven.”
The site is located in Fallujah district, an area that has witnessed conflict involving various militant groups since 2003, including al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), and Shiite militias.
A specialized judicial committee has been formed to conduct DNA testing on the remains in order to determine the exact timeframe of the burials and identify the victims, the spokesperson said.
Dulaimi explained that the recovered bodies appear to belong to individuals between the ages of 14 and 60, with several believed to have been executed by gunfire while blindfolded.
In a press conference on Monday, Dulaimi stated that 10 remains were found in the first grave, five in the second, and one in the third, while stressing that operations will continue at the remaining four graves.
“The results of DNA tests will determine the identity of the victims and the timeframe in which they were killed,” Dulaimi told reporters.
Fallujah became a major center of insurgency following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, with Sunni insurgents and loyalists of dictator Saddam Hussein engaging in intense clashes with the US Marine Corps. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, later made the city one of his primary bases of operations.
Amid prolonged sectarian tensions with the federal government, local Sunni tribes and al-Qaeda-linked militants - who later evolved into ISIS - fought against Iraqi security forces. By early January 2014, militants had seized control of the city.
“Exhumation operations began on May 6, and as of today, three graves have been exhumed that contained the remains of 16 individuals,” Muayad al-Dulaimi, spokesperson for Anbar’s provincial government, told Rudaw.
He added that authorities initially believed the site contained 10 mass graves but that “following inspections by teams from the mass graves directorate, it was confirmed to be seven.”
The site is located in Fallujah district, an area that has witnessed conflict involving various militant groups since 2003, including al-Qaeda, the Islamic State (ISIS), and Shiite militias.
A specialized judicial committee has been formed to conduct DNA testing on the remains in order to determine the exact timeframe of the burials and identify the victims, the spokesperson said.
Dulaimi explained that the recovered bodies appear to belong to individuals between the ages of 14 and 60, with several believed to have been executed by gunfire while blindfolded.
In a press conference on Monday, Dulaimi stated that 10 remains were found in the first grave, five in the second, and one in the third, while stressing that operations will continue at the remaining four graves.
“The results of DNA tests will determine the identity of the victims and the timeframe in which they were killed,” Dulaimi told reporters.
Fallujah became a major center of insurgency following the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, with Sunni insurgents and loyalists of dictator Saddam Hussein engaging in intense clashes with the US Marine Corps. Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, later made the city one of his primary bases of operations.
Amid prolonged sectarian tensions with the federal government, local Sunni tribes and al-Qaeda-linked militants - who later evolved into ISIS - fought against Iraqi security forces. By early January 2014, militants had seized control of the city.