In 2014, the Islamic State (ISIS) had occupied Mosul and was on its way to Sinjar. Before arriving in Sinjar, they occupied Tel Afar in northwestern Iraq. Tel Afar was largely populated by Shiite Turkmen, whose beliefs the Sunni extremists of ISIS considered to be heretical.
While tens of thousands fled Tel Afar, many were unable to escape and were subsequently killed by ISIS. Over 70 mass graves have been discovered in the region, believed to contain tens of thousands of bodies.
One of these mass graves is the “Elo Enter” grave, located near Tel Afar, which is 63 km west of Mosul and 52 km east of Sinjar. It is estimated that up to 2,000 bodies are buried here, including Yazidis from Sinjar.
Eyewitnesses reported that ISIS fighters regularly brought bodies to the site during their occupation. Civilians were often executed on the spot and thrown into the pit. There are accounts of victims being dumped alive into the sinkhole and then killed with hand grenades.
Iraqi organisations and UNITAD (United Nations Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da’esh/ISIL) have begun exhuming the grave. The exhumation work could start only after the area was cleared of explosives. The excavation is expected to continue for another three months.
