next Image 1 of 2

prev Image 2 of 2

Local officials say thousands of people, mostly men and teenage boys, remain missing in the wake of Iraqi victories against the Islamic State group.

In Mosul alone, more than six months after Iraq declared victory, more than 3,000 people remain unaccounted for. Some are believed to have been killed by IS, while others were detained by security forces on suspicion of extremist ties.

Regardless, bureaucracy, inefficiency and neglect have left thousands of families in limbo.

Mohammed Karbouli is a member of Iraq's parliamentary committee on defense and security from Anbar province, where victory was declared in the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah more than a year ago. He says more than 2,900 people remain missing. When parents don't know the fate of their children, he warned, "tensions emerge."