Mass Grave of 120 Yazidis Murdered by ISIS Found
Sun, November 29, 2015
A Kurdish soldier examines remains from a mass grave. (Photo: Screenshot from video)
The bodies of more than 120 Yazidis have been found in a mass grave near the town of Sinjar, Iraq.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces retook Sinjar earlier this month. Last year the Islamic State overran the area after storming most of northern Iraq including the city of Mosul.
Between 10,000 and 40,000 Yazidi civilians were trapped on Mount Sinjar, surrounded by ISIS fighters, without access to food and water. Kurdish forces were able to rescue an estimated 20,000 Yazidis and supplies were airdropped to those stranded on the mountain.
This find marks the sixth time this month that a mass grave has been found. The official in charge of the area, Mahma Kalil, said the grave had been rigged with explosives by ISIS fighters before Kurds recaptured the area.
An earlier mass grave contained the bodies of 80 women aged 40 to 80. One official suspected the women were killed because they were too old to rape and enslave.
The Yazidis are regarded by the Islamic State as devil worshippers, because of their unique religion.
ISIS has captured thousands of Yazidi girls and forced them into sex-slavery.
For
more information about the Islamic State and its campaign of genocide
against the Yazidis, see Clarion Project's Special Report: The Islamic State (ISIS, ISIL)
Get a preview of Clarion Project’s upcoming film, Faithkeepers, about the violent persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. The film features exclusive footage and testimonials of Christians, Baha’i, Yazidis, Jews, and other minority refugees, and a historical context of the persecution in the region.
Kurdish Peshmerga forces retook Sinjar earlier this month. Last year the Islamic State overran the area after storming most of northern Iraq including the city of Mosul.
Between 10,000 and 40,000 Yazidi civilians were trapped on Mount Sinjar, surrounded by ISIS fighters, without access to food and water. Kurdish forces were able to rescue an estimated 20,000 Yazidis and supplies were airdropped to those stranded on the mountain.
This find marks the sixth time this month that a mass grave has been found. The official in charge of the area, Mahma Kalil, said the grave had been rigged with explosives by ISIS fighters before Kurds recaptured the area.
An earlier mass grave contained the bodies of 80 women aged 40 to 80. One official suspected the women were killed because they were too old to rape and enslave.
The Yazidis are regarded by the Islamic State as devil worshippers, because of their unique religion.
ISIS has captured thousands of Yazidi girls and forced them into sex-slavery.
Get a preview of Clarion Project’s upcoming film, Faithkeepers, about the violent persecution of Christians and other religious minorities in the Middle East. The film features exclusive footage and testimonials of Christians, Baha’i, Yazidis, Jews, and other minority refugees, and a historical context of the persecution in the region.
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