Mass Grave Found Near Hawija with Remains of 17 Peshmergas

PUKMEDIA

The mass grave that was found in Kirkuk.

The Director of the Mass Graves Department within the Forensic Medicine Directorate has announced the discovery of a mass grave near the Hawija district in Kirkuk Governorate, containing the remains of 17 Peshmerga martyrs who were killed by ISIS terrorists after being captured.

Yasmine Munther, Head of the Mass Graves Department, stated during a press conference today, Thursday, 13 February 2025: “A mass grave has been uncovered at the Bakara military base near the Hawija district, south of Kirkuk, containing the remains of 17 Peshmergas who were killed by ISIS.”

She added: “Blood samples have been collected from several relatives of the Peshmerga martyrs in Erbil to conduct tests and confirm the identities of the victims.”

It is believed that the remains found today belong to Peshmerga fighters who were martyred when the terrorist organisation ISIS occupied this area in 2015, during clashes with Peshmerga forces.

Notably, in 2015, in the Maktab Khalid area south of Kirkuk—then the final frontline between Peshmerga forces and ISIS terrorists—17 Peshmerga fighters were captured by the terrorist group, placed in cages, and paraded through the streets of Hawija district. Now, a decade after this brutal crime, their remains have been found in a mass grave in the Bakara area. Several Peshmerga fighters were captured during battles with ISIS terrorists, with video footage released by the group showing the martyrdom of some, while the fate of others remains unknown.



PUKMEDIA