Iraq: Daesh militants in mass grave of Asian background

By Ali Jawad

BAGHDAD (AA) - The majority of Daesh militants found in a mass grave recently discovered in western Iraq are of Asian background, the Iraqi cabinet said Monday.

Last week, Iraqi forces unearthed a mass grave containing the remains of more than 100 Daesh militants in Khalidiya Island in the western Anbar province.

The cabinet said in a statement that medical tests showed that most militants buried in the mass grave were of Asian background.

According to the statement, the militants had been buried in the grave at an estimated time between two weeks to two months ago.

“Most of them were buried during operations to liberate the island recently,” the statement said.

Iraqi forces have recaptured the Khalidiya Island last month from Daesh terrorist group.

“The militants were hastily buried in the mass grave because Iraqi forces were advancing to the center of the island,” army officer Safaa al-Obeidia told Anadolu Agency.

He said Daesh group “often buries their dead militants or throws their bodies in the Euphrates River in order to hide their losses.”

Iraq has suffered a devastating security vacuum since mid-2014, when Daesh captured the northern city of Mosul and overran large swathes of territory in the northern and western parts of the country.

Iraqi forces, backed by U.S.-led airstrikes, have since managed to recapture most of the territory.

According to the UN, more than 3.4 million people are now displaced in Iraq -- more than half of them children -- while more than 10 million are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.