PKK withdrawal to boost Shingal stability 'by 50 percent': Nineveh council head

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan 24) – The withdrawal of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters from Sinjar (Shingal) will not solve all security issues in the area, but will increase stability "by 50 percent," Nineveh Provincial Council (KPC) Head Bashar Kiki told Kurdistan 24 on Tuesday.

Kiki’s speech came following the departure of PKK fighters from Shingal, where they have had a strong presence since 2014. when they deployed there to fight Islamic State (IS) militants.

Ankara, which designates the PKK a ‘terrorist’ group, has recently threatened on multiple instances to attack Shingal to drive out the group's fighters in the area.

“The more important thing is for the legitimate authority of Shingal, which includes the Mayor and council members, to return to their hometown and resume their official work,” Kiki said, adding that government buildings must be cleared of "armed groups," referring to pro-Iran Shia Hashd al-Shaabi militias.

He called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the federal government of Iraq to speed up the process of reaching an agreement about the situation in Shingal.

“It is a challenging region with a multi-ethnic and multi-religious population. It is an area in which many barbaric crimes have been committed,” he continued. “Shingal needs special attention.”

In Aug. 2014, IS fighters occupied Shingal and committed mass executions against the Ezidi people. They also kidnapped and enslaved thousands of Ezidi women and sold them in markets under their control.

To date, over three thousand Ezidis have been rescued from the jihadist group; the whereabouts of thousands more remain unknown.

Kiki mentioned that issues in Shingal should be addressed within the framework of the Iraqi constitution.

“From our perspective, we believe that the presence of Peshmerga forces in the area would give people more guarantees for stability and security. We all know very well that the area is still under the threat of Da’esh [IS]. Thus, the presence of Peshmerga will be very important,” the council head noted.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces, with the support of the US-led coalition airstrikes, liberated Shingal in November of 2015. Following the attack and takeover by Iraqi forces and Hashd al-Shaabi militias last October throughout the disputed territories, including Kirkuk and Shingal, Peshmerga withdrew from them.

Editing by John J. Catherine