Ibrahim Ezidi- Shingal

Forensic teams continue the exhumation process of dozens of mass graves containing the remains of Ezidi victims slaughtered by the Islamic State (IS) group.

There have been rumors over the past few days that work  have been brought to a halt due to security threats; however according to KirkukNow correspondent in Shingal (Sinjar), specialized teams continue to operate in the area.

The first mass grave in Kojo village was unearthed on March 15, 2019.

The process started after wide-scale protests by the families of Ezidi victims criticized the slow-paced progress in the process and expressed fear that the remains of their loved ones could be washed away by heavy rainfall.

According to statistics of the Ezidi affairs directorate at the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s ministry of endowment and religious affairs as many as 73 mass graves have been found in addition to dozens of individual graves across Shingal believed to be containing the remains Ezidi victims mass murdered by IS militants after they swept into the town in August 2014.