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ERBIL, Feb. 28 (AKnews) – Remains of 700 men, women and children found in a mass grave in Mahari deserts in southern Iraq belong to Kurds from Kirkuk and other Kurdish territories in Salahaddin and Diyala provinces who were killed during the former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.
DNA test have established the fact, it was announced in a press conference at Kurdistan Region’s Forensic Institute.
Yaseen Karim, director of the Forensic Institute said in the press conference that “We have finalized the DNA tests which proved the remains belonged to Kurds from Kirkuk and Garmyan [disputed territories of Salahaddin and Diyala provinces]”
“The remains are expected to be returned to Kurdistan Region soon and be buried in their home towns” he said.
Iraqi Army in early 1980s launched a military campaign code-named Anfal Operation in which they rounded up about 180,000 civilian Kurds, took them to central and southern Iraq, killed them and buried them in mass graves. Some of them were buried alive.
The act was deemed genocide by the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court which was set up after the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to try former officials who were charged with crimes against humanity and genocide.
In 2007, Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Majeed, Hussein’s cousin – notoriously known as Chemical Ali after a chemical gas attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja which killed 5,000 – in addition to two o the senior officials were sentenced to death for the Anfal Operation.
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DNA test have established the fact, it was announced in a press conference at Kurdistan Region’s Forensic Institute.
Yaseen Karim, director of the Forensic Institute said in the press conference that “We have finalized the DNA tests which proved the remains belonged to Kurds from Kirkuk and Garmyan [disputed territories of Salahaddin and Diyala provinces]”
“The remains are expected to be returned to Kurdistan Region soon and be buried in their home towns” he said.
Iraqi Army in early 1980s launched a military campaign code-named Anfal Operation in which they rounded up about 180,000 civilian Kurds, took them to central and southern Iraq, killed them and buried them in mass graves. Some of them were buried alive.
The act was deemed genocide by the Iraqi Supreme Criminal Court which was set up after the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to try former officials who were charged with crimes against humanity and genocide.
In 2007, Saddam Hussein, Ali Hassan Majeed, Hussein’s cousin – notoriously known as Chemical Ali after a chemical gas attack on the Kurdish city of Halabja which killed 5,000 – in addition to two o the senior officials were sentenced to death for the Anfal Operation.
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
