Iraq swaps war dead with Iran
- 13 years ago
Iranian soldiers carry the remains of those killed more than 20 years ago in the war with Iraq.
The two countries are exchanging the bodies of three Iranian and 90 Iraqi soldiers at a border point.
All but one are unidentified and thousands of others killed in the 1980's conflict are still missing.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MAHDI AL-TIMIMI, HEAD OF HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE IN BASRA CITY, SAYING:
"Even now, we have not been able to figure out the correct number of missing Iraqis. Iraq has received the remains of 2229 Iraqi soldiers since 1996, and has handed over to its neighbour, Iran, the remains of 1473 Iranian soldiers."
Iraq invaded Iran in 1980 amid border disputes and during the Iranian Revolution.
A United Nations-brokered ceasefire finally ended the war in 1988.
Despite the efforts of both sides, some families still don't know what happened to their loved ones who fought in the war and remain unaccounted for.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters
The two countries are exchanging the bodies of three Iranian and 90 Iraqi soldiers at a border point.
All but one are unidentified and thousands of others killed in the 1980's conflict are still missing.
(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) MAHDI AL-TIMIMI, HEAD OF HUMAN RIGHTS OFFICE IN BASRA CITY, SAYING:
"Even now, we have not been able to figure out the correct number of missing Iraqis. Iraq has received the remains of 2229 Iraqi soldiers since 1996, and has handed over to its neighbour, Iran, the remains of 1473 Iranian soldiers."
Iraq invaded Iran in 1980 amid border disputes and during the Iranian Revolution.
A United Nations-brokered ceasefire finally ended the war in 1988.
Despite the efforts of both sides, some families still don't know what happened to their loved ones who fought in the war and remain unaccounted for.
Lindsey Parietti, Reuters