Discovery of New Mass Graves in Iraq Containing 'Hundreds of Bodies of ISIS Victims'

According to reports from Iraq, in one of the military bases reclaimed from the group known as the Islamic State, 'hundreds of bodies' have been found that appear to be all victims of ISIS. Rakan Saeed, the interim governor of Kirkuk, stated that at the al-Bakara base, near Hawija, at least 400 bodies have been discovered. Hawija is located 240 kilometers north of Baghdad in Kirkuk province. According to the Iraqi News website, Mr. Saeed has called on the Iraqi government and the United Nations to conduct investigations into the mass graves and identify the victims. It has been reported that some of the bodies are dressed in civilian clothing while others are in uniforms. Two weeks prior, Iraqi army forces had also discovered another mass grave in the same area, which contained the bodies of fifty soldiers and police forces. The Iraqi High Commission for Human Rights has called for international assistance regarding the mass graves that are being discovered one after another, including the transfer of victims' bodies, conducting DNA tests, and identifying the victims. The Iraqi armed forces began operations to reclaim the city of Hawija and its surrounding areas in early autumn and reported significant progress in operations by October 5. Hawija was considered the last major stronghold of ISIS in northern Iraq. This city is also significant because it is near the oil city of Kirkuk, which at that time was claimed by the autonomous Kurdistan region. The Kurdish Peshmerga forces ultimately withdrew from Kirkuk. ISIS had seized parts of Iraq and Syria during extensive advances that began four years ago.