Iraq recovers bodies of 39 Indians abducted by IS in 2014
BAGHDAD — The dirt mound in the dry hills outside the village of Badush was known as a place where Islamic State fighters had buried some of their enemies after they overran much of northern Iraq nearly four years ago. But it was only when Iraqi authorities began digging last summer that the identity of the victims became clear.
They found the bodies of men with long black hair and silver bracelets known as karas that are worn by followers of the Sikh religion. On Tuesday, India’s foreign minister confirmed the mass grave contains the bodies of 39 Indian construction workers abducted shortly after the area fell to the extremists.
Iraqi and Indian authorities said 38 of the bodies had been positively identified through DNA analysis. All were Indian, and all had been shot, many in the head. IS likely killed them for their religious beliefs.
DNA analysis has not been completed on the last body.