Media: Joint Qatari-FBI operation uncovers ISIS execution site in northern Syria

The remains of 30 individuals, believed to have been executed by ISIS militants, have been uncovered in a remote town in northern Syria.

This discovery was the result of a joint search operation led by Qatari teams and the FBI, focusing on the town of Dabiq, near Syria's border with Türkiye, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The Qatari internal security forces reported that the FBI initiated the search, and DNA testing is currently underway to identify the victims. The nationalities of the deceased have not been disclosed. The operation aims to locate the remains of several foreign nationals previously abducted and killed by ISIS, including American aid worker Peter Kassig, who was executed in Dabiq in 2014, as well as journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, and aid worker Kayla Mueller. The search also coincides with efforts to locate British journalist John Cantlie, who was abducted in 2012 and last seen in an ISIS propaganda video in 2016.

Dabiq holds symbolic significance for ISIS, being named after the town in its English-language magazine and cited in its apocalyptic rhetoric. The town was recaptured from ISIS by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels in 2016. Since then, it has been a focal point for investigations into ISIS' atrocities.

This discovery adds to the growing number of mass graves found across Syria, many containing the remains of individuals who disappeared during the civil war that began in 2011. The United Nations estimates that over 130,000 Syrians have been forcibly disappeared during the conflict.

The identification and repatriation of the recovered remains continue to be a foremost priority for international authorities and humanitarian organizations, as they seek to bring closure to the families of the victims and uphold the principles of justice and human dignity.

By Vafa Guliyeva