Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi on Friday commemorated the 12th anniversary of the Camp Speicher massacre, calling the ISIS-led atrocity a "testament to the scale of terrorism’s crimes" while stressing the government's responsibility to combat extremist rhetoric and strengthen state stability.

The Camp Speicher massacre occurred on June 12, 2014, when ISIS militants captured and systematically executed an estimated 1,700 unarmed Iraqi military cadets following a security collapse.

Officially classified by the United Nations as a war crime and genocide, the predominantly Shia Muslim recruits were intercepted outside Tikrit and executed along the Tigris River and in mass graves.

Al-Zaidi: Camp Speicher Massacre Remains a Symbol of Sacrifice and Resilience

“On June 12 of every year, we stand with reverence and solemnity to commemorate a painful memory, one of the most heinous crimes in Iraq’s modern history, when the criminal ISIS terrorist gangs carried out the Speicher massacre, claiming the lives of innocent young Iraqis in a brutal crime that targeted humanity, the homeland, and all human values,” al-Zaidi said in a statement on Friday.

Al-Zaidi described the tragedy as a permanent reminder of terrorist brutality, noting that the victims' memory “will forever live in the conscience of all Iraqis as a symbol of sacrifice and resilience.”

He reaffirmed the government's commitment to prioritizing the legal and moral rights of the victims' families while ensuring they receive proper care and national honors.

“Through the sacrifices of our martyrs and the courage of our security forces across all branches and formations, Iraqis have proven their ability to defeat terrorism and bury its plots,” he added.

PM Vows Legal Reforms and Economic Growth 

The Prime Minister further affirmed his commitment to strengthening the rule of law, protecting freedoms, and advancing economic development to improve living standards. He also emphasized a balanced foreign policy built on state sovereignty, mutual interests, and stronger international relations.

“Honoring the sacrifice of our martyrs means transforming their sacrifices into a force that strengthens national unity, builds state institutions, protects the gains secured through their pure blood, and ensures that such crimes are never repeated,” he remarked.

“May Allah’s mercy and eternal glory be upon the righteous martyrs of Speicher and upon all the martyrs of Iraq. Shame and disgrace upon the killers, the terrorists, and their accomplices,” al-Zaidi concluded.