Authorities discovered a mass grave at an agricultural school near Hammam al-Alil, which is now fully liberated. The grave is estimated to contain 100 victims — some of them decapitated — but it is unclear if the dead were civilian or military personnel. A forensics team is on its way to study the grave. Last month, hundreds of people were reported executed in the city south of Mosul, but those found today were already reduced to skeletons, suggesting the grave may be older.
Kurdish forces entered Bashiqa on Monday and later declared it captured. American military personnel were seen in the town but not participating in combat roles. The town is clear of civilians, and Peshmerga forces have been conducting house-to-house searches for remaining militants.
Bawiza and Sada have been captured. Also taken were Manarat Shabak, Marij, and Qabir al-Abid. Troops, however, withdrew from Mosul’s Intisar neighborhood.
Although Baghdad has been tight-lipped about casualties, American volunteer medics have been aiding dozens of them.
About 1,000 prisoners were discovered in an Islamic State prison in Shura.
At least 81 people were killed and 83 were wounded in recent violence:
In Baghdad, mortars killed four and wounded 11 in the Arab Jabour neighborhood. Other attacks left seven dead and 24 wounded.
Three soldiers were killed, including an officer, and eight were wounded when three bombs exploded in Abu Ghraib.
In Mosul, a witness at a Salam hospital used by militants claimed to have seen 30 bodies and 40 wounded brought in. A militant leader was killed in a clash.
A bombing near Tikrit killed three civilians.
At least 11 suicide bombers were killed in Bashiqa.
Seven militants were killed in a strike on Rashad.
In Sada Baoizh, seven militants were killed.
On airstrike on Baaj killed three militants. One of them was a media producer.
Two militants were killed in Baiji.
A drone strike killed a militant leader in Tarmiya.
Another militant leader was killed in battle near Hammam al-Alil.
In Sharqat, a militant commander was killed.
