IRBIL, Iraq (AP) — The U.N. human rights office says it's received reports of 16 mass graves discovered near Sinjar, the northwestern Iraqi town that was liberated from the Islamic State group last month.
Spokeswoman Cecile Pouilly of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says she has no details about how many bodies might be inside the graves. She didn't immediately provide the source of the reports on Friday.
Sinjar Mayor Mahma Khalil tells the Associated Press that a total of 17 mass and collective graves have been uncovered on the outskirts of Sinjar. He didn't give any further information or estimates on the number of bodies the graves could hold.
IS captured Sinjar in August 2014, killing and enslaving members of the Yazidi religious minority and forcing thousands to flee.
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