Shia militias: Mosul is holy target
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – Hashd al-Shaabi Shia militias are making preparations for the Hawija offensive with both Sunni Arabs and Kurds concerned about their participation.
After Peshmerga broke the myth of Bashir village and liberated the Turkmen area from Islamic State (IS) insurgents last month, the focus is on the next battle in the IS-held city of Hawija, 30 miles south of Kirkuk.
Speaking to a Kurdistan24 reporter, Wasta Rasool, a Peshmerga commander in southern Kirkuk frontline, reaffirmed Peshmerga participation in the Hawija liberation operation. Rasool added that Peshmerga will refuse to cooperate in offensives alongside Hashd al-Shaabi.
The Peshmerga commander did not express why, but the recent conflict involving Hashd al-Shaabi and Peshmerga in Tuz Khurmatu might be the reason.
Sheikh Abu Hatim al-Jibouri, a Sunni Arab tribal leader in Kirkuk, told Kurdistan24 that they are against the participation of Hashd al-Shaabi in the Hawija offensive.
“We have had bad experiences with Shia militias…Sunni Arabs are killed by both Shia militias and Da’esh,” Jibouri said, using the Arabic pejorative for IS.
Despite the fear of Sunnis and the concern of the Kurds, Shia militias want to be part of the operation to retake the Sunni Arab-populated city controlled by IS since June 2014.
Yalmaz Muhandis, head of the Shia militias in northern Iraq, told reporters on Monday that “Hashd al-Shaabi forces are ready for this operation, and hopefully it will start after the end of the Falluja operation.”
Muhandis confirmed that the militias will participate in the Hawija operation. “We will participate in all operations, to liberate Mosul and Talaafar, because they are a holy target for us,” he added.
Hashd al-Shaabi is an exclusively Shia militia formed after the Iranian Shia cleric in Iraq, Ali al-Sistani, called for the formation of the group in June 2014 to fight IS insurgents.
Reporting by Baxtiyar Goran & Hemin Dalo
Editing by Karzan Sualivany and Ava Homa