Baladi News - Journals
Hundreds of bodies have been exhumed from one of the largest mass graves near the Syrian city of Raqqa - once the capital of ISIS‘s self-declared caliphate.
Concerns about the preservation of bodies and evidence for possible war crimes trials, have led local groups and first responders to work around the clock to exhume the bodies.
“We’re in a race against time,” said Sara Kayyali, of Human Rights Watch. ”These bodies are decomposing at an exponential rate.”
A devastating US-backed air and ground offensive drove Isis from Raqqa more than a year ago, but rescuers and recovery teams continue to locate mass graves in and around the city.
At least nine graves have been found in and around the city.
The bodies have been recovered are a mix of victims of US-led coalition airstrikes, Isis fighters and civilians.
The Panorama mass grave, named after the neighbourhood where it was found, is one of the largest of nine discovered so far. It is believed to contain around 1,500 bodies.
Source: The Independent.