Iraqis find 3 more mass graves in formerly IS-held Sinjar
Source: AP
By SUSANNAH GEORGE and BALINT IRBIL,
Iraq (AP) — Kurdish officials said Sunday three more mass graves have been found in the northern town of Sinjar, where Kurdish forces backed by heavy U.S.-led airstrikes drove out Islamic State militants earlier this month.
The discovery brings the total number of burial sites in the area to five and the total number of bodies uncovered to between 200 and 300, according to local officials.
While experts say proper excavation and identification of the bodies could take months, Sinjar residents are expressing frustration with the process so far, complaining that their requests from the Kurdish Regional Government for expert help have gone unanswered.
Residents are seeking a faster identification process and assistance in rebuilding the town, much of which is uninhabitable after more than a year of clashes and airstrikes.
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FILE -- In this Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015 file image made from video, skulls remain at the site of a purported mass grave in the city of Sinjar, northern Iraq after it was retaken from Islamic State militants. Iraqi officials said Sunday, Nov. 29, 2015, that three more mass graves have been found in the northern town of Sinjar, where Kurdish forces backed by U.S.-led airstrikes drove out Islamic State militants earlier this month. Two graves have been found east of the town and one has been found within the town itself, bringing the total number of mass graves uncovered to five. (AP Photo via AP video, File)
Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/e991a2a429fa497eb67b504ef0322fa2/iraqis-find-3-more-mass-graves-formerly-held-sinjar
