PKK maintains presence in Sinjar under different names

By Idris Okuducu

MOSUL, Iraq (AA) - A Peshmerga commander based in Sinjar, in northern Iraq, confirmed on Wednesday the continued presence of the PKK terror group in the region.

“PKK-affiliated armed groups have maintained their presence in Sinjar under different names in solidarity with the Hashd al-Shaabi,” Qasim Shesho told Anadolu Agency.

A predominantly Shia fighting force, the Hashd al-Shaabi was incorporated into the Iraqi armed forces in late 2016.

Shesho said Iraqi troops had been deployed in Sinjar and in the town of Sinun.

It is uncertain when PKK-affiliated groups will leave Sinjar, he added.

"More than a thousand armed groups are present in Sinjar. Most of them include Ezidis," he said.

The PKK first established a foothold in Sinjar in 2014 on the pretext that it was “protecting” the local Ezidi community from the Daesh terrorist group.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently hinted at the possibility of a military campaign aimed at dislodging the PKK from Sinjar.