Shafaq News – Nineveh

Iraq's National Team for Mass Graves Affairs launched its fourth campaign to collect blood samples from relatives of victims disappeared during ISIS rule, aiming to identify the dead and determine the fate of the missing.

Mohammed Hassan, a member of the team, told Shafaq News on Monday that the campaign will run for three days in the Hammam al-Alil subdistrict. Over 70 missing persons were registered during this round, and more than 100 blood samples were collected across four stages. The total number of relatives expected to participate could surpass 300.

Noting that the operation faces challenges, including the large number of mass graves and limited media coverage, he urged families to provide blood samples — a crucial step toward accurate identification.

The campaign comes as Iraq continues to address the aftermath of ISIS control. The group captured Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, and other towns on June 10, 2014, holding them until liberation operations concluded in 2017.

During this period, ISIS carried out mass killings, widespread kidnappings, forced displacements, and other human rights violations, leaving thousands dead and many families still searching for missing loved ones.

Read more: Mosul families demand truth on 600 missing under ISIS