6 days ago
762 Yazidi victims unearthed from Sinjar mass graves
Shafaq News - Sinjar
Authorities in the Kurdistan Region announced on Wednesday the recovery of the remains of 762 Yazidis killed by ISIS from mass graves in Sinjar, Nineveh province.
According to Hussein Qaidi, Head of the Kurdistan Region's Office of Kidnapped Affairs, only 298 victims have been identified through DNA analysis and returned to their families for burial. The other remains await forensic confirmation.
Qaidi criticized the Iraqi government for its 'negligence' and delay in handling the mass graves file, calling for urgent international intervention. 'This humanitarian issue is not receiving the attention it deserves,' he said. 'Out of 91 documented graves, only 23 have been opened. The rest remain sealed, some for nearly a decade.'
Meanwhile, Iraqi MP Mohammad Khalil said 93 mass graves have been located in Sinjar, yet over half remain untouched. He blamed governmental inaction and 'failure' to follow through on Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani's pledges to normalize the region, support victims' families, and address the fate of the missing.
Khalil also criticized the stalled Sinjar Agreement, signed in October 2020 between Baghdad and Erbil to demilitarize the region, enable reconstruction, and facilitate the return of displaced residents. 'The agreement remains ink on paper,' he said, citing the continued presence of irregular armed groups and deep political divisions as key obstacles.
Earlier today, Sinjar held a somber ceremony marking the return of 22 newly identified victims, part of the eighth official batch of remains to be laid to rest. Families of the deceased, local officials, and international representatives attended.
Nine years after the 2014 genocide, Sinjar remains scarred by mass graves, unfulfilled promises, and a fragile security situation. Yazidi leaders and human rights advocates continue to demand international assistance, warning that failure to act risks burying justice with the dead.
