Mass Grave Of 138 Bodies, 78 Of Which Were Elderly Women, Killed By ISIS Found In Iraq
Officials have uncovered two mass graves in Sinjar, Iraq, that contain 138 corpses. One of the mass graves held 78 bodies of elderly women, all of whom were murdered by ISIS. The second grave contained 60 corpses of men, women, and children. The discovery comes after ISIS was pushed out of Sinjar by Kurdish forces last week in the city that was held by the Islamic State for over a year.
The Daily Mail reports that a gruesome discovery was made in Sinjar after Kurdish forces took back the city from Islamic State control. The city, which borders Syria, was overrun by ISIS militants last year and the brutal forces proceeded to murder members of the Yazidi religious minority. Upon inspecting the area, Kurdish forces have discovered two mass graves at the location. One of the graves contained 78 bodies of elderly women that had been shot and buried by the ISIS forces. The other grave contained 60 bodies of men, women and children, also murdered by the terrorists.
major story unfolding in Sinjar as Kurdish forces uncover Yazidi mass graves. they’ve long feared what they’d find there when ISIS was gone.
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) November 15, 2015
It is noted that when ISIS forces entered Sinjar in the summer of 2014, they killed and captured thousands of Yazidi men, women and children. Many of the women were forced into slavery where they were raped and sold as sex slaves. As the Inquisitr previously reported, girls as young as 9-years-old have become pregnant due to the sexual abuse they faced at the hands of Islamic State forces. One 9-year-old Yazidi girl says she was raped by 10 different militants before becoming pregnant. However, she is not alone. Earlier this year, the Toronto Star reported that as many as 4,000 Yazidi girls and women were being held as sex slaves.
Mass graves of #Yazidi women found in Iraq – it’s thought more will be discovered https://t.co/PQUS4cPtN8 pic.twitter.com/NrqqT9oMtj — Legatum Institute (@LegatumInst) November 15, 2015
For those women viewed as too old for the sex trade, it appears that a mass grave was created and the women were shot before being tossed into the dirt. Though the discovery is startling, a security official with the Kurdish militia says it is not uncommon. In fact, when taking back control of ISIS-controlled areas he claims it is almost expected.
“This is not a surprise. In other areas that have been taken back, we have found similar mass graves.”
The Kurdish forces noted that the one mass grave was filled with only elderly women, but noted the other was a mixed grave. However, additional information was not given as they claim it is difficult to fully process the area as the graves are rigged with homemade bombs.
“More precise information from the second grave is unavailable at the moment, Samir explained, because the surrounding area is thought to be rigged with homemade bombs, preventing investigation teams from reaching it.”
According to CBS News, thousands of Yazidi men, women, and children are missing after invasions of the Islamic State. Many families still hold out hope that their loved ones will return; however, residents say the situation looks worse as more mass graves are uncovered. Nawaf Ashur, a resident of Sinjar who fled in August after the Islamic State took over the city, says that as mass graves are discovered, the realization that many people aren’t coming back is sinking in.
“But now with the news of each grave found, we know not all of them will come back. Some of them are never coming back.”
Meanwhile, following the ISIS terrorist attack in Paris, the French government is bombing Raqqa, Syria, which ISIS has made its unofficial capital city. The French Ministry of Defense said it targeted a command post and a terrorist training camp, dropping 20 bombs on the area. There have been no reports of civilian casualties following the French bombing of Raqqa, Syria.
[Photo by John Moore/ Getty Images]
