A mass grave of 80 Yazidi women from the village of kocho Has been found in East #Sinjar pic.twitter.com/1tSJa4iNF2
— Khalaf Yezidi (@KhalafYezidi) November 14, 2015
The attack, which may be qualified as an act of genocide, in which Yazidis were brutally murdered reportedly took place exactly three months ago. Girls who escaped the killing described the horrific event to investigators.
“We keep finding evidence of their actions, and this needs to be documented and recorded,” Qassim Simo, the head of the local intelligence department, told Al Jazeera.
4 #CJTFOIR strikes destroyed #ISIL vehicles & fighting position near #Sinjar. Read more @ https://t.co/4b4uwD0hwc pic.twitter.com/XetqEp9wlv
— CJTF-OIR (@CJTFOIR) November 15, 2015
However, some of the evidence could have been lost due to heavy shelling from Peshmerga forces and US-led coalition airstrikes. Another obstacle for a full-scale investigation of the alleged Yazidi genocide present bombs and landmines, left by ISIL everywhere across the area.
#BREAKING: another mass grave with about 60 #Ezidi victims were discovered near Hamedan, east of #Shingal city #Sinjar #EzidiGenocide
— ÊzîdîPress (@EzidiPress) November 15, 2015
Another mass grave, containing bodies of almost 60 Yazidi men, women and children was discovered west of Sinjar on Sunday, according to AFP.
According to @EzidiPress, a 3rd #Yezidi mass grave has been discovered in #Sinjar bringing total body count to 190. pic.twitter.com/kGjoTHAaUG
— Julie Lenarz (@MsJulieLenarz) November 15, 2015
These are not the first mass graves discovered in Iraqi Kurdistan in areas freed from ISIL.
Local officials said there are hundreds of mass graves expected to be discovered across Sinjar Mountains. According to UN estimates, at least 5,000 children, women and men have been killed by ISIL militants since summer 2014 offensive, when ISIL captured the region, systematically enslaving, raping and killing thousands of local residents.
#Iraq, #Mosul, #Sinjar Mountains 2014: #Yazidi-#Women-#Slavery / #Child-#Rape / Forced-#Marriage. #ISIS/#ISIL/#Daesh. pic.twitter.com/bOORchTaYN
— Luay لؤي الخطيب (@AL_Khatteeb) April 26, 2015
Yazidis practice an ancient syncretic religion linked to Zoroastrianism, which Islamists regard a heresy.
On Friday, the Kurdistan Region Security Council announced that the Peshmerga reclaimed Sinjar, which was held by the Islamic State for more than a year.
