By: TII team
Date: December 27, 2024
Iraq uncovers mass grave containing 100 Kurdish women and children, southern Iraq, December 2024. Photo: Rudaw TV
TEL AL-SHAIKHIA,— Iraqi officials have started the exhumation of a mass grave believed to contain the remains of around 100 Kurdish women and children, reportedly executed during Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 1980s.
The grave was initially discovered in 2019 but excavation efforts began earlier this month, according to officials involved in the process.
Located in Tal al-Shaikhia within Iraq’s southern Muthanna province, the site is about 10 to 12 miles from the main road, as reported by a journalist with AFP. Diaa Karim, head of Iraq’s Mass Graves Directorate, described the grave as the second one uncovered in the area.
“When we removed the first layer of soil, we found remains belonging to women and children dressed in Kurdish spring clothing,” he said Wednesday. The victims are believed to have been from Kalar in northern Sulaimaniyah province, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Karim estimates at least 100 individuals are buried at the site, though the number could change as the excavation continues.
The victims are thought to have been targeted during the Anfal campaign, a brutal operation carried out between 1987 and 1988 under Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war. This campaign resulted in the deaths of approximately 180,000 Kurds through chemical attacks, bombings, and mass executions. Saddam’s government labeled Kurdish civilians as enemies, leading to widespread atrocities.
TEL AL-SHAIKHIA,— Iraqi officials have started the exhumation of a mass grave believed to contain the remains of around 100 Kurdish women and children, reportedly executed during Saddam Hussein’s regime in the 1980s.
The grave was initially discovered in 2019 but excavation efforts began earlier this month, according to officials involved in the process.
Located in Tal al-Shaikhia within Iraq’s southern Muthanna province, the site is about 10 to 12 miles from the main road, as reported by a journalist with AFP. Diaa Karim, head of Iraq’s Mass Graves Directorate, described the grave as the second one uncovered in the area.
“When we removed the first layer of soil, we found remains belonging to women and children dressed in Kurdish spring clothing,” he said Wednesday. The victims are believed to have been from Kalar in northern Sulaimaniyah province, in Iraq’s Kurdistan region. Karim estimates at least 100 individuals are buried at the site, though the number could change as the excavation continues.
The victims are thought to have been targeted during the Anfal campaign, a brutal operation carried out between 1987 and 1988 under Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war. This campaign resulted in the deaths of approximately 180,000 Kurds through chemical attacks, bombings, and mass executions. Saddam’s government labeled Kurdish civilians as enemies, leading to widespread atrocities.
Iraq uncovers mass grave containing 100 Kurdish women and children, southern Iraq, December 2024. Photo: Rudaw TV
Ahmed Qusai, head of Iraq’s mass grave excavation team, said the condition of the remains has made the work particularly challenging. “Many of the bodies are intertwined. We’ve found mothers holding their infants in the grave,” he explained. Durgham Kamel, another member of the excavation team, confirmed the discovery of a second grave nearby, located close to the notorious Nugrat al-Salman prison. This prison was used by Saddam’s regime to detain dissidents.
Details from the site reveal the horrific nature of the killings. Some victims were shot at close range, while others may have been buried alive, Karim said. “We’ve found remains without bullet marks, indicating some may have been buried while still alive,” he noted.
Saddam Hussein’s rule ended in 2003 after a U.S.-led invasion, and he was executed in 2006 following a conviction for genocide tied to the Anfal campaign.
Iraq’s government estimates that 1.3 million people disappeared or were killed during his regime due to widespread human rights violations and atrocities.
Forensic teams continue their work at the Tal al-Shaikhia site, as Iraqi authorities aim to uncover the full extent of the killings and identify the victims. The exhumation process is part of a larger effort to document the crimes of Saddam Hussein’s regime and provide answers for families of the disappeared.
(Credit: AFP)
Copyright © 2024 The Insight International. All rights reserved
Ahmed Qusai, head of Iraq’s mass grave excavation team, said the condition of the remains has made the work particularly challenging. “Many of the bodies are intertwined. We’ve found mothers holding their infants in the grave,” he explained. Durgham Kamel, another member of the excavation team, confirmed the discovery of a second grave nearby, located close to the notorious Nugrat al-Salman prison. This prison was used by Saddam’s regime to detain dissidents.
Details from the site reveal the horrific nature of the killings. Some victims were shot at close range, while others may have been buried alive, Karim said. “We’ve found remains without bullet marks, indicating some may have been buried while still alive,” he noted.
Saddam Hussein’s rule ended in 2003 after a U.S.-led invasion, and he was executed in 2006 following a conviction for genocide tied to the Anfal campaign.
Iraq’s government estimates that 1.3 million people disappeared or were killed during his regime due to widespread human rights violations and atrocities.
Forensic teams continue their work at the Tal al-Shaikhia site, as Iraqi authorities aim to uncover the full extent of the killings and identify the victims. The exhumation process is part of a larger effort to document the crimes of Saddam Hussein’s regime and provide answers for families of the disappeared.
(Credit: AFP)
Copyright © 2024 The Insight International. All rights reserved
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