Tensions between Iraqi army, PKK-affiliated force continue in Shingal

Rudaw Net

19-03-2025

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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi army and an armed group affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) clashed in Nineveh province's Shingal (Sinjar) late Tuesday, causing several injuries from both sides, according to a lawmaker and the group.
The Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), widely seen as an all-Yazidi offshoot of the PKK, said in a statement early Wednesday that the Iraqi army targeted one of their vehicles in Shingal, which led to the injuries of their fighters.
YBS claimed that the army "ambushed" their members, adding that one of the injured is in critical condition.
The Iraqi army has yet to comment on the incident.
Sherwan Dubardani, a Kurdish lawmaker from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in Nineveh province, told Rudaw late Tuesday that four Iraqi soldiers were injured in the altercation, claiming that the army was pursuing a stolen vehicle before YBS fighters attacked the soldiers in defense of the individual accused of stealing the vehicle.
Luqman Sultan, head of Shingal hospital, told Rudaw that five members of the Iraqi army were injured in the incident.
Pro-YBS media reported on Wednesday that tensions between both sides continue.
YBS-affiliated Cira TV said that some people went to protest against the Iraqi army near the incident area but were prevented by the army.
There is a myriad of armed groups in Shingal, including those affiliated with the PKK, the Iraqi government, and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Ongoing security issues and a lack of basic services have prevented many displaced people from returning to their homes.
This is not the first time clashes have erupted between the army and the YBS. A deadly altercation took place between them over control of the town in May 2022. Tensions between both sides were also high in March 2019.
YBS was formed in 2007 but its role became more prominent after the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked the Yazidi heartland of Shingal in 2014 and carried out massacres against the ethnoreligious minority group.
With the help of the PKK fighters, who descended from Kurdistan Region's mountainous areas, the YBS was able to control large swathes of land in Shingal and still remains one of the dominant forces there despite opposition from Baghdad and sporadic attacks by Ankara - which considers it an offshoot of the PKK.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, has been involved in a devastating conflict with Ankara for decades. Over 40,000 people have been killed in the clashes.
Last year, Iraq banned the PKK, paving the way for stronger relations between Baghdad and Ankara. Later, both countries signed dozens of agreements in various fields, including security.