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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi security forces on Wednesday said they arrested five individuals following an overnight skirmish between the Iraqi army and armed individuals affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the predominantly Yazidi district of Shingal (Sinjar).
A statement from the Iraqi Security Media Cell said that a “group of outlaws in two vehicles kidnapped a citizen in Sinjar district [north of Iraq] and took him to another location.” In response, Iraqi army forces, Shingal police, and other security units “pursued the vehicles, completely surrounding the area.”
During the operation, the kidnappers “threw a hand grenade at one of the security forces’ vehicles,” causing “minor injuries to four security personnel.” Security forces “managed to wound two of the kidnappers - one critically - and arrested five suspects involved in the kidnapping.” The kidnapped citizen was freed following intense clashes.
The Security Media Cell did not provide details on the motive behind the reported “kidnapping,” but the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS) - a group widely known as an all-Yazidi offshoot of the PKK - claimed in on Wednesday that the Iraqi army targeted one of their vehicles in Shingal, which led to the injury of three of their fighters.
The YBS claimed that the Iraqi forces "ambushed" their fighters, leaving one of them in critical condition.
Pro-YBS media on Wednesday reported on the incident and published a video showing YBS supporters trying to protest at the venue of the incident, but were blocked by security forces.
Sherwan Dubardani, a Kurdish lawmaker representing the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Nineveh province, told Rudaw on Wednesday that the YBS had kidnapped a citizen, who is an engineer, and stolen his vehicle.
Dubardani added that security forces pursued the “kidnappers” - who were in two YBS vehicles and attacked the soldiers in defense of one of their members who was accused of stealing the vehicle.
A myriad of armed groups are active in Shingal, including those affiliated with the PKK, the Iraqi government, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
This is not the first time clashes have erupted between the Iraqi army and the YBS, with deadly confrontations occurring in May 2022 over control of the district.
The YBS, formed in 2007, gained prominence after fighting against the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, following the latter’s blitz attack on the Yazidi heartland of Shingal, which resulted in mass atrocities against the ethno-religious minority group.
Backed by the PKK, the YBS gained control of large areas in Shingal and remains one of the most influential forces in the region despite opposition from Baghdad.
The YBS additionally comes under sporadic attacks from Turkey, which regards them as a PKK offshoot. Ankara designates the PKK as a terrorist organization.
Last year, Iraq banned the PKK, paving the way for stronger relations between Baghdad and Ankara.
Iraq also signed the Shingal Agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) to normalize life in the war-torn district in 2020. However, the KRG contends that the presence of PKK-linked forces and lack of cooperation from the Iraqi government have led to the failure of the agreement.
Meanwhile, many Yazidis who fled Shingal during the 2014 ISIS attacks have been unable to return due to ongoing security issues and a lack of basic services in the district.
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