Iraq Recovers 139 Suspected IS Victims from Mass Grave

Iraqi authorities have exhumed the remains of 139 people from a mass grave in Tal Afar, northern Iraq, believed to contain victims of the Islamic State (IS) group. The mass grave, known as the Alo Antar hole, is a natural desert feature that IS allegedly turned into a dumping site for their victims between 2014 and 2017. The victims are likely to be Yazidis, Shiite Turkmen, and security forces personnel from Mosul, according to officials.

The remains were recovered and identified using DNA testing, and efforts to remove more bodies from the site are ongoing. The discovery of the mass grave was made after Iraqi forces regained control of the area in 2017, but the process of recovering the bodies began in May. The United Nations estimates there could be as many as 200 mass graves across the region, potentially containing up to 12,000 bodies.