This week, heavy clashes in Shangal prompted more than 3,000 people, most of whom were Yezidis, to flee to the Kurdish-ruled north.
Iraq — The Yezidis of Sinjar, still traumatized by the memories of the 2014 attack by the ISIS group, fear new violence. Last week, after fighting broke out between the Iraqi military and the local militia "Shangal self-defense units", the Yezidi population was forced to flee again.
Tensions reached a climax when on Sunday the Iraqi military launched an offensive in the Sinjar area to destroy armed elements of the local militia, consisting mainly of Yazidis belonging to the minority.
According to the Iraqi government, the "Shangal self-defense unit" has links with the PKK.
Iraqi officials have not released any figures and do not comment on casualties, now it is unclear whether there are killed or wounded in the fighting.
In October 2020, with the mediation of the United Nations, an agreement was concluded between Baghdad and the Kurdish Government to restore order in the area. In accordance with this agreement, the Federal Police is the only State authority. The agreement was not successful.
Lieutenant General Abdul-Amir Al-Shammari, deputy commander of Iraq's Joint Operational Command, said at a press conference in Sinjar that Iraqi forces had established security and law and order and opened all roads in the area:
"The purpose of these operations was to establish (the rule of) law and security to ensure a safe environment so that we can rebuild Sinjar and return displaced people."
But the Yezidis, many of whom were displaced for the second time, do not want to return. Most of the displaced persons who fled to the north were distributed in different camps.
The "Shangal Self-Defense Unit" was created in 2014 with the assistance of the PKK. They played an important role in ousting ISIS militants from the area after the defeat and flight of the Iraqi army. Since then, the detachment has remained a powerful local force in the area, citing a deep distrust of the federal government forces deployed to protect the area.
The Iraqi army stated that the purpose of the offensive was to restore state authority in response to the fact that the "Shangal Self-Defense Unit" set up checkpoints and did not allow citizens to return to their homes, which was not the case.