Iraqi authorities exhumed the remains of at least 100 Kurdish women and children of a common grave in the province of You can fightin the south of the country. The victims would have been executed during the dictator’s regime Saddam Hussein in the 1980s, local officials reported Thursday.
The grave, located near Tal al Shaijiawas inspected by specialized teams since mid-December.
“Once the first layer of earth was removed and the remains were clearly visible, we discovered that they belonged to women and children dressed in Kurdish clothing,” he explained. Diaa Karimhead of the Iraqi authority in charge of mass graves.
The victims, estimated at at least a hundred, were probably from Colorin the province of Solimaniawithin the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistanin the north of the country.
Karim explained that many of the victims “They were executed by bullets fired at point-blank range in the head”. Exhumation work is still continuing, while other possible sites in the region are identified.
In addition, it was reported that another grave was found near the prison. Nugrat Salmana facility used by the Hussein regime to imprison Kurds and political opponents.
Mass graves are related to the military campaign Anfalexecuted by Saddam Hussein’s regime between 1987 and 1988, an offensive that caused the death of approximately 180,000 Kurds through mass executions, forced displacement and attacks with chemical weapons. This campaign was recognized as an act of genocide.
For its part, the Iraqi government highlighted in a statement that the opening of the grave took place during “a solemn ceremony” in the town of Al Salmán, before emphasizing that it “contains the remains of Kurdish victims of the Anfal genocide.” .
“This land witnessed, four decades ago, the pain and cries of our loved ones, innocent women and children.whose lives were forcibly taken in one of the most brutal crimes committed by the former regime against the Kurds,” said Abdul Latif Rashid’s wife, Shanaz Ibrahim Ahmed.
Thus, Ahmed emphasized that the authorities “will spare no effort, as promised to the families of the victims, to make significant progress in this case”.
“Our priority is the return of the remains to their families once DNA testing and other identification procedures are completed,” he added.
Saddam Husseinoverthrown in 2003 following the US-led invasion, was executed in 2006 for crimes against humanity. However, he did not face specific charges for the genocide committed during the Anfal campaign.
The discovery of new graves underscores the regime’s legacy of violence and the ongoing effort by Iraqi authorities to locate and identify victims, returning their remains to families and preserving historical memory.
(With information from AFP and Europa Press)
