ROJNEWS reported that, while citizens were carrying out construction work with an excavator in the area between Sîba Şêx Xidir and Tilizêr district, they came across clothing, belongings, and human remains. Security forces then cordoned off the area.
A new mass grave was found, and a man buried there was identified. Sîbok Ismail Çûko, the cousin of the missing Seydo Ebas Çûko, confirmed at the police station that the ID shown to him belonged to his relative. He said: “We have applied to the relevant institutions; an examination will be carried out on Saturday.”
Xeyrî Elî Îbrahîm from the organization Petrichor, which works on mass graves, said that remains of two people were found at the site, adding: “It has been confirmed that there is a mass grave here. Work will continue within the legal process.”
Families and civil society organizations have called on the Iraqi government to ensure that the mass graves in Shengal are opened without delay by expert teams and that identifications are carried out.
On 3 August 2014, ISIS gangs carried out genocidal attacks on Shengal.
According to the Office for Rescued Yazidi Captives, more than 5,000 Yazidis were massacred and 2,745 children were orphaned. To date, nearly 100 mass graves have been identified. Thousands of women and children were abducted, more than 3,500 of whom have since been rescued.