Kirkuk records over 9,000 deaths in 10 years, mass graves for unidentified bodies
Shafaq News/ Kirkuk recorded more than 9,000 deaths over the past decade, a medical source said on Friday, as activists pointed to a grave holding more than 600 unidentified bodies in the province.
The source from Kirkuk’s Forensic Medicine Department told Shafaq News Agency that "the forensic medicine unit documented 9,050 deaths in Kirkuk due to various incidents, including criminal and terrorist activities, between 2014 and the end of 2023."
"The deaths were officially recorded, and death certificates were issued."
The source revealed that road accidents accounted for 2,215 deaths during the same period, attributing most of these incidents to excessive speeding. “About 50% of the deceased were young people,” he said.
In addition, ISIS activities in 2014 contributed to the increase in bodies received, particularly between 2014 and 2017, when military operations were underway to liberate Kirkuk’s outskirts from the extremist group, the source noted.
Activist Abdul Rahman Ali highlighted Kirkuk’s troubled security history, describing it as one of Iraq’s provinces most affected by terrorism. "In past years, Kirkuk witnessed dozens of terrorist bombings, both before and during ISIS’s rise, resulting in numerous civilian and security force casualties," he told Shafaq News Agency.
Ali also referred to a grave near Lilan, 20 kilometers southeast of Kirkuk, which contains over 600 unidentified bodies. "The forensic medicine department has buried these bodies in recent years, after failing to identify them."
Over a decade ago, terrorist groups frequently carried out suicide bombings targeting civilians, leaving behind fragmented remains that were unidentifiable. “Forensic teams documented and stored the remains before burying them in the unidentified persons’ cemetery by Islamic practices,” Ali said.
He noted that many of these incidents occurred between 2005 and 2014, a period marked by instability and recurrent suicide attacks in Kirkuk.
