UN urges Iraqi authorities to uncover mass graves created by Islamic State

The Islamic State group left behind more than 200 mass graves in Iraq containing up to 12,000 victims, the UN said Tuesday, adding they could hold vital evidence of war crimes.

Even more, sites could be uncovered in the months to come, the UN's human rights office and its mission in Iraq (UNAMI) said, urging Iraqi authorities to properly preserve and excavate them to provide closure for victims' families.

(With inputs from agencies.)