Efforts uncover mass grave of Turkmen victims in Iraq’s Tal Afar

Efforts continue in northern Iraq’s Tal Afar district to recover remains from a mass grave believed to contain ethnic Turkmen victims killed by Daesh between 2014 and 2017.

Search for Turkmen victims in ‘Well of hell’

Located west of Mosul, the “Well of Hell,” known locally as Allav Anter, is over 100 meters (328 feet) deep and was used by Daesh to dispose of executed individuals.

Thousands of missing Turkmen from the region are feared to be among the victims.

The Iraqi government, in collaboration with Turkmen groups and institutions, has initiated the recovery of bodies from the area seized by Daesh a decade ago.

Turhan Ketene, president of the Turkmeneli Cooperation and Culture Foundation, informed Anadolu Agency (AA) that over 1,000 Turkmen from Tal Afar were reported to authorities six years ago as being thrown into the well by Daesh terrorists.

Tal Afar District Governor Halil Muhsin estimates the well might contain over 1,500 bodies.

The exhumation process, ongoing for a month and a half, has uncovered remains of women and children. Muhsin has called for accelerated efforts and DNA testing to identify the victims.

Ali Habib, Coordinator of the Turkmeneli Human Rights Center, emphasized that video evidence and eyewitness accounts confirm the well contains Turkmen executed by Daesh.

He stressed the urgent need for DNA testing on the exhumed remains to provide closure for the families of the missing.

Over 200 bodies recovered for testing

The search continues despite challenging conditions, including dust storms and extreme heat. Over 200 bodies have been recovered and sent for DNA testing, but the work remains far from complete, Habib noted.

Daesh terrorists seized control of Mosul, Salahaddin, Anbar, and parts of Diyala and Kirkuk in northern Iraq in June 2014. Iraqi forces reclaimed these regions over subsequent years, with former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declaring victory over Daesh on December 9, 2017.