SYRIA: New mass grave north of Raqqa containing remains of 100 victims executed by ISIS found

RAQQA, Syria – Residents of Hukomiyah farm, north of Raqqa city in North and East Syria, informed the Initial Response Team (IRT) of the Raqqa Civil Council of the existence of a mass grave in the area between Hukomiyah farm and the village of Hazima. During its investigation of the site, the forensic team of the IRT confirmed the existence of a mass grave.

The grave appears to contain dozens of bodies belonging to victims executed by the Islamic State (ISIS).

The head of the IRT, Yasser al-Khamis, told North Press Agency that forensic reports confirm that the site contains the bodies of women and children as well as bodies belonging to unknown military personnel.

Al-Khamis noted that the IRT will begin exhuming the bodies from the new mass grave early next week after the completion of the exhumation of a mass grave near Tel Zidan, east of Raqqa, from which 160 bodies have been recovered so far.

According to al-Khamis, the number of bodies expected to be found in the Hukomiyah mass grave is estimated to be close to 100.

Since its inception in 2018, the IRT has recovered 5,900 bodies from mass graves across North and East Syria.