MOSUL, Iraq -Â The trucks arrive empty in the ruins of the Old City, and always leave full. Some are laden with debris from the thousands of destroyed buildings, but others carry a more macabre payload - piled in the back, neatly wrapped in polythene, are the remains of people still being dug from
the ruins.
Mosul continues to give up its dead even today, 10 months after Islamic State was defeated. In the Old City and surrounding areas, all but flattened by intensive US coalition bombing and Iraqi artillery, diggers work in shifts to move the estimated 10 million tonnes of debris, raising clouds of dust and fragments of bodies before the recovery teams move in.
We cannot give the official numbers of the bodies we have recovered. The government told us to stop
The bodies of IS fighters are often disgorged from the ruins still wearing explosive belts, but among them are the innocent - tiny feet and hands are a common sight and, after one dig, a child's flower-shaped hair clasp is [...]
What is Iraq? Iraq, officially known as the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, Kuwait to the southeast, Saudi Arabia to the south, Jordan to the southwest and Syria to the west. The capital, and largest city, is Baghdad. Iraq is home to diverse
ethnic groups including Arabs, Kurds, Assyrians, Turkmen, Shabakis, Yazidis, Armenians, Mandeans, Circassians and Kawliya. Around 95% of the country's 37 million citizens are Muslims, with Christianity, Yarsan, Yezidism and Mandeanism also present. The official languages of Iraq are Arabic and Kurdish.
Who are MiddleEastEye? Middle East Eye (MEE) is a United Kingdom-based media website and channel that primarily focuses on news related to the Middle East, North Africa, and the broader Muslim world.
Where is Mosul? Mosul is a major city in northern Iraq. Located approximately 400 km (250 mi) north of Baghdad, Mosul stands on the west bank of the Tigris, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank. The metropolitan area has grown to encompass substantial areas on both the "Left Bank" (east
side) and the "Right Bank" (west side), as the two banks are described by the locals compared to the flow direction of Tigris.
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