Search aided by FBI uncovers remains of 30 presumed ISIS victims

Updated on May 12, 2025 at 10:15 AM EDT by CBS/AP

Mother of executed journalist pens a book about her son
The mother of James Foley writes a book about the American journalist who was executed.

In a joint effort by Qatari search teams and the FBI, the remains of 30 individuals believed to have been killed by the militant Islamic State group were discovered in a secluded Syrian town. The Qatari internal security forces revealed that the FBI had requested the search, and DNA tests are currently being conducted to confirm the identities of the deceased. While the Qatari agency did not disclose the specific individuals that the American intelligence and security agency is seeking, Reuters reported, based on information from two briefed sources, that they are looking for the remains of American hostages slain by ISIS.

Over the years, numerous foreigners, including aid workers and journalists, fell victim to ISIS militants, who once held significant territories in Syria and Iraq and proclaimed a so-called caliphate. However, the militant group lost most of its control by the end of 2017 and was officially defeated in 2019. Since then, several burial sites and mass graves in northern Syria have been unearthed, containing the remains of individuals abducted by ISIS.

Among the victims of ISIS are American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as humanitarian workers Kayla Mueller and Peter Kassig. The initial focus of the search was on locating the remains of Kassig, who was beheaded in northern Syria in 2014. The Kassig family expressed gratitude to all involved in the effort to identify and repatriate the deceased individuals.

Furthermore, British correspondent John Cantlie, who was abducted alongside Foley in 2012, was last seen alive in an extremist group’s propaganda video in 2016. The search took place in Dabiq, a town near Syria’s northern border with Turkey, where ISIS had released videos showing the beheadings of Foley, Sotloff, and Kassig.

The notorious ISIS member dubbed “Jihadi John,” identified as Mohammed Emwazi, was the masked man seen in the execution videos. Emwazi, a British citizen of Kuwaiti origin, was killed in a targeted U.S. and British drone strike in November 2015. Mass graves have also been discovered in areas previously controlled by Syrian President Bashar Assad, who was overthrown in a swift insurgency in December.

American journalist Austin Tice, who was abducted in 2012 in western Syria, remains a prominent case of a missing individual. Last seen in a video shortly after his capture, the U.S. administration believes Tice is still alive, although there is no direct evidence confirming his well-being. Tice’s parents have not received recent video evidence of his status, but remain hopeful for his safe return.

The United Nations estimated that over 130,000 Syrians were forcibly disappeared during the civil war that erupted from the 2011 uprising.

In:
– ISIS
– Qatar
– FBI
– Syria