Iraqi militia finds 5 mass graves
Hawija (IraqiNews.com) The pro-government paramilitary troops have seized several mass graves containing relics of civilians and security personnel in southwest of Kirkuk.
The media service of al-Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilization Forces) said in a statement on Saturday, “troops ran into ten mass graves containing relics of security personnel and civilians who were executed by Islamic State in southwest of Hawija.”
The troops, according to the statement, “coordinate with specialized teams to check the relics and identify them.”
Some of the relics were for women and children, he added.
On Thursday, PMFs said two other mass graves were found containing relics of security personnel and civilians in Hawija. Troops recently ran into three mass graves at the villages of Abu Sakhra and al-Therban, also southwest of Hawija, as operations proceeded to clear the town.
The United Nations said last week that nearly 78,000 people could still be trapped in their homes.
Late September, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced beginning of the second phase of Hawija offensive.
According to Defense Ministry’s War Media Cell, 557 IS militants were killed, while more than 100 villages and regions were liberated during the first phase, which launched on September 24th.