Inside Iraq's ongoing search for answers in ISIS mass graves

Shafaq News/ In the haunting shadow of Iraq's past conflicts, the search for justice continues as families wait for answers buried deep within ISIS's grim legacy of mass graves.

Hussein Al-Jubouri, a father, spends his days sitting outside Al-Bakara Air Base, a ritual where he speaks to his missing sons who were taken by ISIS and vanished in mass graves. Alongside him are dozens of families who still await news about their missing loved ones.

Al-Jubouri shares with Shafaq News Agency, the harrowing story of his sons' disappearance, saying, "ISIS, days before government forces liberated Al-Hawija district, launched arbitrary arrest campaigns, targeting youths and dissenters. They seized three of my sons; an armed group abducted them from our home in central Al-Hawija (55 km southwest of Kirkuk). Soon after, we learned that ISIS had executed them, burying them alongside others they had also executed."

Years have passed, but these victims' fate remains uncertain. Al-Jubouri wonders, "Will these graves ever be opened? Do we even know if our sons are among them? The Iraqi government must address the mass graves left by ISIS and uncover the atrocities they committed against civilians in Al-Hawija and beyond."

He calls on the Iraqi government to "seek justice for the victims of ISIS terrorism by supporting the Mass Graves Directorate at the Martyrs Foundation."

"Opening these graves will reveal the dark chapter of ISIS's crimes against civilians in Al-Hawija and other similarly affected cities."

In the summer of 2014, ISIS swept through vast areas of Iraq, seizing Mosul Governorate and spreading control rapidly. 

By 2017, Iraq declared victory over ISIS, regaining all territories and covering about a third of the country's landmass. The group left behind numerous mass graves in areas under its control, where thousands of its opponents were executed and buried.

According to a 2018 report from the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), 202 mass grave sites containing victims of ISIS have been documented in the governorates of Nineveh, Kirkuk, Saladin, and Al-Anbar. 

The UN estimated that these graves may hold between 6,000 and 12,000 victims, with local Iraqi authorities continuing the gradual process of extracting the remains.

Saadoun Abduljabbar, a researcher and expert on mass graves issues, expresses concerns over the fate of thousands of Iraqi civilians still missing and believed to be buried in mass graves. 

"Despite more than twenty years passing since the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime and the Ba'ath Party, many families are still searching for answers regarding their loved ones." He highlights.

Abduljabbar emphasizes "the extensive suffering endured by the Iraqi people due to wars, economic hardships, and atrocities committed under Saddam Hussein's rule," noting that these tragedies resulted in the creation of numerous mass graves across Iraq, affecting communities such as Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen.

The researcher points out that even after the fall of Saddam's regime and the intervention of US forces, violence in Iraq persisted in various forms, including bombings and terrorist activities. He estimates that nearly a million Iraqis lost their lives due to these conflicts and acts of terrorism.

"The titles of these graves changed to bloody bombings with car bombs, suicide bombers, and other forms of violence that claimed the lives of nearly a million Iraqis. With the withdrawal of US forces, terrorist organizations united, and we saw the emergence of the most vicious terrorist organization in modern times, ISIS, to continue what Saddam Hussein and his henchmen started in killing dozens of civilians and burying them in mass graves. Kirkuk had its share with four mass graves, all located in the Al-Hawija district."

Abduljabbar highlights the situation in Kirkuk, specifically mentioning four mass graves located in the Al-Hawija district. He noted that Al-Bakara Air Base, which was once a military airport and later served as a headquarters for US forces, is believed to contain some of the largest mass graves, particularly those related to ISIS activities after 2012.

"Perhaps the largest mass graves are located in Al-Bakara Air Base. Before 2003, it was a military airport, and after the entry of US forces, it became their headquarters and an important base. Dozens of residents of Al-Hawija were arrested there."

The expert underscores the gravity of the situation, pointing out that these mass graves represent a "painful chapter in Iraq's history, with many families still awaiting closure and justice for their loved ones."

Last April, the Iraqi forces and the Popular Mobilization Forces regained control of Al-Hawija district southwest of Kirkuk. Local authorities announced the discovery of mass graves containing around 400 bodies of individuals killed by ISIS near the district. 

Rakan Al-Jubouri, the acting governor of Kirkuk, stated earlier that ISIS had turned "the Al-Bakara Air Base into an execution site," highlighting the "brutality of terrorism, with at least 400 victims, some in red execution jumpsuits and others in civilian clothing."

It is believed that the Al-Bakara base contains five mass graves of detainees held by ISIS.

The Human Rights Commission's Deputy Director, Majeed Abdullah, reveals to Shafaq News Agency that mass graves discovered in the Al-Hawija district in 2017 are believed to be the sites of ISIS mass executions. 

"The investigation, initiated that year, faces challenges in determining the exact number of victims due to overlapping graves." 

"Identified locations include Al-Bakara, Al-Ba'ir Forests, Al-Musna'a Village, and Al-Sayyadah Village."

Abdullah urges governmental assistance for precise tasks and victim identification. 

Notably, the Mass Graves Directorate conducted an initial technical survey on several graves in Kirkuk under the tasks assigned to the directorate by Law No. 13 of 2015 on Mass Graves Affairs and Protection. 

The department's teams carried out the initial technical survey of a number of recently discovered mass graves in the Kirkuk governorate, with four of them being surveyed, including Al-Bakara Airbase, Al-Ba'ir Forests, Al-Musna'a Village, and Al-Sayyadah Village.

These grave sites are cataloged for future excavation investigation to identify the victims and bring a ray of hope to families seeking closure and justice.