Yezidi woman found dead, 4 days after missing in Duhok
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — A Yezidi woman from Shingal, living in Duhok, was found dead on Monday, four days after she had gone missing.
“We were shocked by the way she had gone missing and later found dead, because in addition to killing her, she had also been dumped into a pond,” Iliyas Khalis, a relative of the slain woman, told Rudaw.
Khalis added they have no suspects in mind because they did not have problems with anyone.
“We just do not know why she has been killed,” he said, urging the relevant parties to track down those responsible.
Duhok police told Rudaw they launched an investigation.
Hemin Sulaiman, a spokesperson for the local police, also explained that “investigations are underway. Once the criminals have been revealed, we will announce it.”
Nazira’s family live in the Yezidi town of Khanke, outside of Duhok province.
More than 6,000 members of the religious minority were taken captive by ISIS when they swept through northern Iraq, committing genocide against the Yezidis. Nearly half of the abductees remain unaccounted for.
Around 200,000 or about half of the Yezidi population in Iraq fled into the Kurdistan Region or Syria in 2014. Many still remain in camps in the Duhok province.
The Yezidi homeland of Shingal remains unstable and the IDPs say they fear returning. The Iraqi Army and Yezidi Peshmerga were in a standoff on March 28 when the army insisted on entering a Yezidi holy shrine.
Najat Nazira, 26, went missing on April 5, and was found dead in a pond in nearby Khanke.
“We were shocked by the way she had gone missing and later found dead, because in addition to killing her, she had also been dumped into a pond,” Iliyas Khalis, a relative of the slain woman, told Rudaw.
Khalis added they have no suspects in mind because they did not have problems with anyone.
“We just do not know why she has been killed,” he said, urging the relevant parties to track down those responsible.
Duhok police told Rudaw they launched an investigation.
Hemin Sulaiman, a spokesperson for the local police, also explained that “investigations are underway. Once the criminals have been revealed, we will announce it.”
Nazira’s family live in the Yezidi town of Khanke, outside of Duhok province.
More than 6,000 members of the religious minority were taken captive by ISIS when they swept through northern Iraq, committing genocide against the Yezidis. Nearly half of the abductees remain unaccounted for.
Around 200,000 or about half of the Yezidi population in Iraq fled into the Kurdistan Region or Syria in 2014. Many still remain in camps in the Duhok province.
The Yezidi homeland of Shingal remains unstable and the IDPs say they fear returning. The Iraqi Army and Yezidi Peshmerga were in a standoff on March 28 when the army insisted on entering a Yezidi holy shrine.