The Iraqi government has started exhuming a mass grave left behind by the Islamic State group in the northwestern Sinjar region.

The exhumation, which is being carried out with U.N. support, began Saturday in the village of Kocho.

IS militants rampaged across Sinjar in 2014, killing Yazidi men and abducting thousands of women and children. Many followers of the minority faith are still missing, after women were forced into sexual slavery and boys were indoctrinated in jihadi ideology.

Over 70 mass graves have been discovered in Sinjar since it was liberated from IS in November 2015.

Nadia Murad, the Noble peace prize winner, who is originally from Kocho, is taking part in the exhumation.