Body of elderly man missing for eight months found in his Sulaymaniyah home

SULAYMANIYAH, Iraq — Police in Sulaymaniyah said the body of a 78-year-old man was found inside his home in the Bakrchi district, with initial findings indicating he had been dead for six to eight months. Sulaymaniyah Police Directorate spokesman Captain Ari Latif said security forces located the remains at the residence after relatives reported being unable to reach him by phone. The man, described as originally from Baghdad, had been living alone in the property. The body showed advanced decomposition and was transferred to the Sulaymaniyah forensic medicine department to determine the exact cause and time of death. Latif said the family had initially believed he may have left the Kurdistan Region, but checks showed he had not traveled and had died at home some time earlier. A source at the forensic medicine department said preliminary examinations pointed to death occurring roughly six to eight months ago. The department is continuing its analysis to clarify the circumstances and timeline of the death. No further details were immediately available.