28 ISIS victims' remains returned to Nineveh, says source

Shafaq News/ Iraqi authorities have received the remains of several people executed by ISIS militants in 2016, a medical source in Nineveh’s Health Department revealed on Saturday.

“The remains, transferred from Baghdad’s Forensic Medicine Department, belonged to 28 residents of Nineveh abducted by ISIS during the group’s control of the region,” the source told Shafaq News.

Separately, Iraqi MP Ahmed Al-Jubouri said the victims, most of whom were security personnel, were executed and buried in a mass grave in the Hammam al-Alil area, south of Mosul, during an ISIS massacre.

“This tragedy is a painful reminder of the brutal crimes committed by the terrorist group,” Al-Jubouri told Shafaq News, calling for justice and accountability under Iraqi law.

Nineveh Governor Abdul Qadir Al-Dakhil recently called for the opening of mass graves containing ISIS victims in Mosul.

Mass graves across Iraq stem from past conflicts and wars, including the period of ISIS control between 2014 and 2017. These sites, mainly located in Nineveh, Kirkuk, and Saladin, contain the remains of thousands of people, including Yazidis, Shia Muslims, and other groups.

The United Nations has documented more than 200 mass graves from this period, with estimates suggesting up to 12,000 victims. Some graves are also linked to earlier violence, including incidents involving al-Qaeda.

According to estimates, Iraq has as many as 400,000 missing persons, and the actual number of mass graves may be higher.