ISS leaves behind 202 mass graves in Iraq

The mass graves may 'contain critical forensic material'. Pic/AFP

The Islamic State group left behind more than 200 mass graves in Iraq containing up to 12,000 victims that could hold vital evidence of war crimes, the UN said on Tuesday. The United Nations in Iraq (UNAMI) and its human rights office said they had documented a total of 202 mass graves in parts of western and northern Iraq held by IS between 2014 and 2017.

Even more sites could be uncovered in the months to come, the report warned, urging Iraqi authorities to properly preserve and excavate them to provide closure for victims' families.

IS overran swathes of Iraq in 2014, executing fighters and civilians en masse. The mass graves may "contain critical forensic material" that could help uncover the details of these violations, as well as identify the victims, the UN said on Tuesday.

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