Iraqi Forces Discover Seven Mass Graves in Once ISIS-Held Kirkuk

A police spokesperson indicated that military personnel and children were probably among the victims buried at the location as “military clothes” and “children’s clothes” have been found.

The grave sites, which reportedly contain the remains of dozens of people, add to a growing number that have been found since the Iraqi government regained control of large areas of the country that were under IS control between 2014 and 2017.

According to a report published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in November, over 200 mass graves have been discovered in governorates across Iraq, including Saladin, Anbar, Nineveh and Kirkuk.

ISIS seized control of large areas of Iraq between June 2014 and December 2017 and led a campaign of systematic violence against non-Arab and non-Sunni Muslim communities, with multiple reported instances of mass executions.