In a solemn ceremony held today in Baghdad, the remains of 172 martyrs, predominantly infants and women, were officially handed over to a committee from Kurdistan after the completion of forensic medical examinations. The event witnessed the presence of Shanaaz Ibrahim, the wife of the President, alongside notable figures such as Majid Shankali, the head of the Health and Environment Committee in Parliament.

The martyrs' remains were discovered in a mass grave located in the Sheikhia area of the Samawa province. A poignant moment unfolded as the Iraqi Ministry of Health, in a statement, confirmed the transfer of the remains to the Kurdistan committee and the families of the martyrs. The subsequent phase will involve the initiation of matching tests for the families to ensure accurate identification.

This heart-wrenching discovery dates back to 2019 when the remains of 172 victims of the Anfal campaign were found. The majority of these victims were women and children, with a mass grave located in the desolate deserts of Samawa province. Following the discovery, the bodies were sent to Iraqi forensic medicine, and today, after the completion of DNA sampling, they were handed over to the Kurdish authorities for burial.

The Anfal campaigns, orchestrated by the previous regime, targeted the evacuation and destruction of thousands of Kurdish villages in the Kurdistan Region. The repercussions were severe, resulting in the obliteration of numerous villages and the arrest and disappearance of over 182,000 residents. Subsequently, evidence confirmed that many had faced brutal liquidation, their bodies buried in mass graves in remote or desert regions of southern and central Iraq.

The Forensic Medicine Department continues its tireless efforts, conducting matching tests for remains from various mass graves, further highlighting the extent of the atrocities committed during the Anfal campaigns. The ceremony today, attended by both officials and the families of the martyrs, marks a poignant moment in the quest for closure and justice for those who lost their lives during this dark chapter in Iraq's history.