VIDEO: 260+ PKK-armed wing fighters in Shingal join Peshmerga: Commander

SHINGAL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Hundreds of Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) in the Shingal area left the group and joined the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces, accusing the group and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) of intra-Kurdish fighting.

On March 3, clashes erupted between both the Kurdistan Region Peshmerga forces and the PKK-armed wing YBS in Khanasor.

The violence, located in the northwest Yezidi (Ezidi)-populated city of Sinjar (Shingal), resulted in several casualties from both sides.

Following the incident, many YBS fighters left the group on a daily basis and entered the Peshmerga forces, Peshmerga Commander in Shingal Brigadier General Ashti Kochar told Kurdistan24 on Saturday.

“So far, over 260 fighters of the PKK-armed wing in Shingal have left the group and joined Peshmerga forces,” Kochar said.

“We have formed a committee to register their names as Peshmerga as well as opening a military base for them in Shingal similar to other Ezidi Peshmerga forces,” he continued.

Speaking to Kurdistan24, many of the fighters stated they did not want infighting between Kurds, but peace instead.

“Following the clashes in Khanasor, we decided to leave the YBS because we didn’t want bloodshed among the Kurds,” said one of the fighters.

The YBS was formed after the Islamic State (IS) occupied Shingal in August 2014.

Some of the YBS fighters who resigned explained to Kurdistan24 the PKK and its armed groups in the Shingal area tried to mobilize people against Peshmerga through negative allegations and slogans.

Kurdistan24 contacted YBS commanders about the resignation of their fighters, but they refused to comment on the topic.

The video below shows a group of YBS fighters who recently joined Peshmerga forces.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany

(Ni’mat Maronisi contributed to this report)