UPDATED: Iraq Formally Dissolves YBS Military Structure In Sinjar
The Iraqi federal government pledges full responsibility for protecting the rights of Ezidi participants in the war against terror, compensating victims’ families, and working toward rebuilding Sinjar district, as nearly 5,000 YBS fighters are integrated into official Iraqi institutions
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iraqi Armed Forces Joint Command spokesman Sabah Numan announced Monday that under the supervision and follow-up of the Prime Minister and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, a ceremony is being held to dissolve the military affiliation of the Sinjar Protection Units, known as YBSh, and integrate them into Iraq’s official institutions, with full security responsibility in the Sinjar Mountains being transferred entirely to federal authorities.
“These measures fall within the framework of the Iraqi government’s programme and method for consolidating weapons in the hands of the state, with the aim of establishing a new phase of security responsibility in Sinjar district,” Numan’s statement said.
The statement acknowledged the significant sacrifices made by the Ezidi community in defending Iraq generally and Sinjar district specifically against terrorist forces, and reaffirmed commitment to the Iraqi constitution which prohibits the formation of armed groups outside the framework of the armed forces. The federal government pledged full responsibility for protecting the rights of Ezidi participants in the war against terror, compensating the families of victims and those who suffered losses, and working toward rebuilding Sinjar district.
The Integration Process
An informed source in Sinjar who requested anonymity told Kurdistan 24 that the ceremony is being held in the Sinjar Mountains and that approximately four to five thousand fighters will become members of Iraq’s security institutions in several phases. According to the integration mechanism, those fighters who become part of Iraq’s federal institutions will remain in Sinjar under the mandate of protecting the area. A number of Iraqi security and military officials and YBS commanders are attending the ceremony.
PM Al-Zaidi’s Weapons Consolidation Plan
The YBS integration falls within PM Ali al-Zaidi’s broader plan to bring all weapons under state control, a commitment he made at the UN General Assembly in September where he set a June 2027 deadline for militia disarmament and announced a 90-day mutual ceasefire as a first phase. The Sinjar integration is the most concrete single implementation of that programme to date, bringing approximately 5,000 fighters from a PKK-affiliated Ezidi force into the formal federal security architecture.
The YBS Background
The Sinjar Resistance Units were established after ISIS attacks on Sinjar and the genocide against the Ezidi people in 2014. In October 2020, Erbil and Baghdad signed the Sinjar Agreement emphasizing the withdrawal of all armed forces outside the state system and PKK-affiliated groups from the area. Iraq’s subsequent decision to ban the PKK led the YBS to intensify efforts to enter the Iraqi security and defence system through dialogue as a formal and legal force protected from threats. Negotiations with senior Iraqi security and military officials began in February 2026, leading to Monday’s ceremony.
This Article updated on 10:43 Am on Oct. 26 2026