Bodies of 39 Indians killed by 'IS' recovered in Iraq
March 20, 2018
The men had been building a hospital in Mosul when they were kidnapped in 2014. Opposition lawmakers in New Delhi criticized the government for letting relatives think their loved ones were still alive.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/A.M.Garip
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Authorities in Iraq confirmed on Tuesday that they had identified the bodies of 38 Indians who were kidnapped by "Islamic State" (IS) in Mosul 2014. Investigators had a 70% DNA match on a 39th body.
The construction workers were found in a mass grave near the village of Badush, northwest of Mosul.
"They were killed in front of my eyes," said Harjit Masih, the only survivor of the massacre. Masih was shot in the thigh but managed to escape the terrorists.
Iraq: Authorities find bodies of 38 Indian construction workers
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Relatives said they had received panicked phone calls from the victims about five days after the abduction in the summer of 2014. About 10,000 Indian nationals lived and worked in Iraq at that time.
Families had long held on to hope that some of their loved ones might still be alive in IS custody. The Indian government had also maintained that most of the men had survived.
"With a heavy heart, I have to inform the house that [the workers] were killed," External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj told the Indian parliament. "We wanted to give the families closure only after getting concrete proof."
Government gave families 'false hope'
Swaraj was criticized by opposition lawmaker Shashi Tharoor for keeping the families in the dark: "I think giving false hope to people is actually cruel and it suggests a certain level of a lack of transparency on part of the government…if you don't know, say you don't know."
Swaraj responded that it had been difficult to locate the men in such a chaotic environment and with the Iraqi government "in the grip of barbaric terrorists."
As military victories by the Iraqi government and its allies have reduced IS-controlled territory to a fraction of what it once was, dozens of mass graves have been found like the one outside Badush.
Swaraj said that the men identified this week had been hired to build a hospital in northern Iraq before they were abducted and thrown in prison by IS.
What is the 'Islamic State'?
IS has gone from an obscure al-Qaida splinter group to a global phenomenon. DW takes a look at the defining aspects of the jihadi group — from its "caliphate" to its tactics.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Al-Furqan
Where did it come from?
The "Islamic State" (IS) — also known as ISIL, ISIS and Daesh — is an al-Qaida splinter group with a militant Sunni Islamist ideology. It emerged in the aftermath of the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Their goal is to create a worldwide "caliphate." It gained worldwide notoriety in 2014 after a blitzkrieg military campaign that resulted in the capture of Mosul.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo
Where does it operate?
IS is believed to be operational in more than a dozen countries across the world. It controls territories in Iraq and Syria. However, the group has lost much of the territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria at the height of its expansion in 2014.
Who is fighting back?
The US leads an international coalition of more than 50 countries, including several Arab nations. Russia, Iran and its Lebanese Shiite ally Hezbollah, which all support the Syrian government, also fight IS. Regional forces such as the Kurdish peshmerga (above) and US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters, fight IS on the ground. The Iraqi army and militia have pushed IS from large parts of the country.
Image: picture-alliance/abaca/H. Huseyin
How does it fund itself?
One of IS' main sources of income has been oil and gas. At one point, it controlled an estimated one-third of Syria's oil production. However, US-led airstrikes deliberately targeted oil resources and the Syrian government as well as US-backed Syrian Kurdish fighters have retaken most oil wells. Other means of income include taxes, ransom, selling looted antiquities and extortion.
Image: Getty Images/J. Moore
Where does it carry out attacks?
IS has claimed responsibility for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. The militant group has targeted capitals across the EU, including Berlin, Brussels and Paris. IS leaders have encouraged so-called "lone wolf" attacks, whereby individuals who support IS carry out terrorist acts without the direct involvement of the group.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/M. Spingler
What other tactics does it use?
The group uses various tactics to expand its power. IS fighters have looted and destroyed historical artifacts in Syria and Iraq in an attempt at "cultural cleansing." The group has also enslaved thousands of women from religious minority groups, including Yazidis. IS also uses a sophisticated social network to distribute propaganda and recruit sympathizers.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/J. Eid
How has it impacted the region?
IS has further exacerbated the ongoing Syrian conflict. Millions of Syrians and Iraqis have fled their homes, many traveling to Europe in pursuit of refuge. Although it has lost all of its strongholds, the militant group has left extraordinary destruction in its wake. Areas affected by the militant group's rule will likely take years to rebuild.
