Remains of three soldiers found in Erbil as Iraq opens seven mass graves

ERBIL — The remains of three Iraqi soldiers believed to have died during the Iran-Iraq War were discovered Saturday at the foot of Mount Kodo in Haji Omran, near Iraq’s border with Iran, as authorities announced the opening of seven mass graves dating back to the 1980s on the National Day for Mass Graves.

Abdulwahab Mahmoud, director of Haji Omran district, told 964media that the remains were found with military identification tags bearing the soldiers’ names and blood types. Two were identified as Mousa Younis Wahab and Sadiq Mohammed Mustafa, both blood type O+. The identity of the third soldier was not immediately available. The Kurdistan Region’s Ministry of Martyrs and Anfal Affairs has been informed and will coordinate with Baghdad to complete transfer procedures.

Also Saturday, Iraq’s Martyrs Foundation began exhuming seven mass graves dating to the rule of former President Saddam Hussein during the 1980s. Diaa Karim, director general of the Department of Mass Graves Affairs, said evidence at the sites indicated “physical liquidation operations took place in this location during different stages, some in the early 1980s and others in the late 1980s.” All remains and evidence will be referred to competent courts to support judicial procedures, he said.

Karim said the process involves classification at a temporary field morgue before transfer to the forensic medicine department, which issues final identification numbers after completing examinations. Teams discovered the seven graves during a 21-day operation, with further stages to continue in coordination with relevant authorities.

Dirgham Kamel Abdulmajid, head of the excavation team, said operations are carried out “with very high precision to preserve the safety of the remains and prevent them from mixing with neighboring remains,” following international standards. About 2,500 victims have been identified in previous years, including victims of the former regime and those killed in acts of terrorism.

The Iran-Iraq War, fought from 1980 to 1988, killed hundreds of thousands on both sides and left large numbers of soldiers missing, particularly in border areas. Haji Omran witnessed heavy fighting during the conflict.