Camp Speicher massacre: mass graves excavated in Iraqi city of Tikrit
'Heartbreaking scenes' as the bodies of up to 1,700 Iraqi soldiers executed by Islamic State were discovered

Mass graves thought to hold the bodies of up to 1,700 Iraqi soldiers killed by Islamic State (IS) militants have been discovered in the newly liberated city of Tikrit.
Forensic teams have been excavating 12 grave sites near the former US Army base, Camp Speicher. A small ceremony was held on the hillside to honour the fallen soldiers, with soldiers firing rounds of gunfire into the air as the national anthem played, CNN reports.
"We dug up the first mass grave site today,” Khalid al-Atbi, an Iraqi health official working with the forensic team, told Reuters. “Until now, we found at least 20 bodies. Initial indications show indisputably that they were from the Speicher victims.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
"It was a heartbreaking scene. We couldn't prevent ourselves from breaking down in tears. What savage barbarian could kill 1,700 persons in cold blood?"
The Camp Speicher massacre took place in June last year, when IS militants led hundreds of unarmed Iraqi soldiers off the army base and executed them. Survivors say the militants questioned the victims to identify those who were Shia Muslims, before murdering them. Gruesome video and images of the attacks were later posted online.
“The massacre of the Iraqi army detachment at Camp Speicher was unprecedented even by the standards of Iraq's decade of sectarian war,” says Reuters. Families of the victims have laid blame on the government and local tribes, who they accuse of promising the soldiers safe passage, but then allowing them to be led to their deaths.
The remains from the mass graves will be sent for DNA testing, but officials warn it could take months for all of the bodies to be uncovered and identified.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
“The murder of the soldiers has become a lightning rod for Shia militias who have vowed to avenge the killings,” reports the BBC. The militias have helped Iraqi forces push back IS advances, but have themselves been accused of war crimes.
Iraqi soldiers and Shiite militias recaptured Tikrit from IS militants last week after a month of fierce fighting, representing a significant victory for the Iraqi government.
The army is now preparing to retake Mosul, Iraq's second biggest city and IS stronghold. The operation is reported to involve 25,000 Iraqi forces and will be backed by US-led coalition air strikes.
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations