Iraqi senior military delegation arrives in Sinjar to discuss PKK presence

The visit follows the recently escalated tensions between the PKK militants and the Iraqi security forces in the area.

Dler S. Mohammed 2022/04/30 15:45

Senior Iraqi military delegation arriving in the Yezidi town of Sinjar (Shingal), northern Iraq, April 30. (Photo: Kurdistan 24)

Iraq Iraqi Security Forces PKK Sinjar Iraqi Army Shingal Kurdistan Workers Party

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – An Iraqi senior military delegation arrived in Sinjar (Shingal) on Saturday to discuss the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the future of its presence in the town.

Kurdistan 24’s correspondent reported that an Iraqi senior military delegation including Abdel Amir Rashid Yarallah, Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Armed Forces, Abdel Amir al-Shimari, Deputy Commander of the Joint Operations, the General Manager of the Military Intelligence, and the Commander of the Iraqi Infantry Forces have arrived in Sinjar.

According to Kurdistan 24’s sources, the visiting delegation will hold a meeting in Sinjar to discuss the security situation of Sinjar and the future of the PKK presence in the town.

The visit follows the recently escalated tensions between the PKK militants and the Iraqi security forces in the area.

On April 21, a different senior Iraqi security delegation arrived in the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar amid skirmishes between the Iraqi army and local forces affiliated with PKK.

Clashes broke out on the evening of April 18 between the PKK-affiliated Yezid Khan Asayish (internal security) and the Iraqi Army after the Iraqi soldiers attempted to remove the checkpoints put in place by the militia. The clashes caused several injuries. The group also took two Iraqi soldiers hostage.

Similar clashes have broken out in the town in the past. Sinjar has still not been reconstructed following the war against ISIS, mainly because of the disruptive presence of these armed groups.

In October 2020, the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) signed the Sinjar Agreement with the support of the United Nations to “restore and normalize” the situation in the Yezidi town.

Per the agreement, a local force would be formed and put in charge of the town’s security. However, several militias with ties to Iran and the PKK oppose the implementation of the deal.