Iraqi officials say government forces have discovered a mass grave containing the remains of around 400 people near Fallujah during their push to retake the city from the extremist Islamic State (IS) group.
Unidentified security sources were quoted by news agencies as saying on June 5 that Iraqi forces discovered the grave in the suburb of Saqlawiya northwest of Fallujah.
"Most of the remains belonged to military personnel who were detained and killed by [IS fighters]," one military official told dpa on condition of anonymity.
A police colonel in the Anbar Province, where Fallujah is located, was quoted by AFP as saying that the mass burial site was uncovered during a mine-clearing operation in the Shuhada neighborhood of Saqlawiya.
"The mass grave contains about 400 bodies of members of the military. There are also some civilians," the police colonel told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Rajeh Barakat, a member of the Anbar provincial council, confirmed the discovery to AFP.
"The mass grave also includes civilians executed by [IS militants] on various charges such as spying or breaking the organization's rules," Barakat told AFP.
Iraqi forces, with air support from the U.S.-led coalition and backing from Shi'ite militias, launched the offensive to retake Fallujah two weeks ago.
Iraqi officials said earlier on June 5 that that they had secured the the southern edge of the city.
Editors' Picks
Top Trending
1
U.S., Canadian Warplanes Intercept Russian, Chinese Military Aircraft Near Alaska
2Crowdsourcing Russia's Future: Poll Of Experts Considers What Comes After Putin
3Russia Attacks Ukrainian Danube Port For Second Day As NATO Scrambles Warplanes Over Romania
4Turkey Detains Russian Man Suspected Of Car Bombing In Moscow
5Live Briefing: Russia Invades Ukraine
6Ukrainian Forces Fight Intense Battles In Donetsk Region, Zelenskiy Says
7Pentagon Finds Another $2 Billion Of Accounting Errors For Ukraine Aid
8'Don't Even Whisper In Your Language': Russian Course For Central Asians Lays Down Strict Rules
9Bulgarian President Admits Blocking Pro-Western Envoy To Kyiv
10Under Relentless Russian Attacks, Ukrainian Power Plant Workers Race To Get The Lights Back On
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.