Iraqi army fights PKK problem in northern Iraq’s Sinjar region

BAGHDAD (AA) - Amid increasing clashes with the PKK terror group in the Sinjar district of the Mosul province, the Iraqi military has launched a large-scale operation for the first time since the 2020 Sinjar Agreement, with one of the main objectives being the elimination of PKK terrorists.

Iraq has recently conducted a military operation to clear the region of PKK terrorists in response to the group's increasing terror attacks.

On Sunday evening, heavy fighting erupted between the Iraqi army and the PKK-affiliated Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS).

Despite sporadic clashes between the army and YBS in recent months, there were no decisive moves taken before Sunday to implement the 2020 deal.

The presence of the PKK terrorists in Sinjar causes a security threat for the civilians in the region.

Displaced Ezidis want peace and stability to be restored in the area so they can return after eight years in camps.

Although an agreement was signed between the Iraqi government and northern Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on Oct. 9, 2020, the terrorist organization has stepped up its activities.

The PKK continues its presence in the district as the Sinjar Agreement has not been fully implemented yet.

Anadolu Agency compiled major developments in the conflict between the Iraqi army and the PKK.

- How did PKK gain a foothold in Sinjar?

Daesh/ISIS terrorists attacked Sinjar, a region with an Ezidi-majority population, in August 2014.

The terror group kidnapped and killed thousands of people, including women and children, or detained them in areas under its control.

The PKK terrorist organization managed to establish a foothold in Sinjar in 2014 under the pretext of protecting the Ezidi community from Daesh/ISIS terrorists.

- Increasing tensions after Sinjar Agreement

The tension in the region increased after Baghdad announced on Oct. 9, 2020 a "historic deal" with northern Iraq’s KRG to bolster the federal government's authority in Sinjar.

Tensions broke out between PKK supporters and Iraqi forces in Sinjar on March 11, 2021, according to local media reports.

The PKK group was reportedly stopped at a checkpoint belonging to the Iraqi forces, and the terror group attacked an Iraqi military vehicle.

On Dec. 12, 2021, clashes broke out between the Iraqi military and groups affiliated with the PKK, during which an army tank was set on fire and two demonstrators were injured, the KRG Anti-Terrorism Unit said in a statement.

The conflict between the PKK and Iraqi forces flared up on April 19 after the terror group refused to vacate a checkpoint.

An Iraqi soldier was reportedly killed and some people were injured in clashes on May 1-2, according to local media reports.

- Ezidis forced out by PKK

After the Daesh/ISIS attack in 2014, most Ezidis had to leave their homes and flee to various parts of the country, including the KRG area. Some of the Ezidi victims also took refuge in Turkiye.

The PKK abducted and forcibly recruited Ezidi children in Sinjar. The Ezidi people held many protests for the release of their children kidnapped by the terror group.

The recent clashes have seen Sinjar residents once again displaced from their homes.

On May 4, Viyan Dehil, an Ezidi lawmaker in the Iraqi parliament, said more than 4,000 civilians have been displaced in Sinjar in just two days.

- Iraqi army moves against PKK

After increasing tensions in Sinjar, a high-level military delegation headed by Iraqi Chief of General Staff Abdul Amir Yarallah visited the district on Tuesday to conduct an inspection.

Iraq’s Defense Ministry announced that the situation in Sinjar is “under control,” following clashes between the YBS and the Iraqi army.

Sinjar has a strategic position as it is some 120 kilometers (74 miles) from Mosul and close to the Turkish-Syrian border.

The terror group aims to create a corridor between the YPG/PKK in northern Syria and Iraq’s northern Qandil region.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Turkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.

* Writing by Zehra Nur Duz in Ankara