YBS in Sinjar agree to surrender weapons and join security forces
The Sinjar Resistance Units (YBS) have agreed to hand over their weapons to the state and integrate into Iraq’s security forces. Iraq’s Prime Minister’s Office said on September 11 that Mount Sinjar will come under the full control of the federal authorities and their security and administrative institutions.
The Iraqi government stated that concentrating weapons in the hands of the state and unifying security decisions should protect the district’s residents, strengthen its stability, and secure its future. As The Jerusalem Post reports, the agreement is part of Baghdad’s broader efforts to disarm various armed groups in the country.
Integration of YBS
Iraq’s prime minister said that the state would guarantee the rights of YBS members and women’s units and take their merits into account. Those who meet the requirements are planned to be integrated into Iraqi security institutions through legal and official procedures.
A meeting on the situation in the Sinjar district was attended by a delegation of the leadership of the Yazidi Cause Alliance, the head of its parliamentary bloc, MP Murad Ismail, as well as YBS leaders. Ismail called the agreement historic and said it provides for YBS members to join the official security forces and for weapons to be handed over to the state.
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Rebuilding Sinjar
Baghdad also announced its intention to focus on infrastructure projects and the reconstruction of Sinjar, compensation for victims, and creating conditions for displaced residents to return. Separately, the government plans to address administrative issues related to governing the district, its institutions, and the Sinjar Reconstruction Fund.
Sinjar, also known as Shingal, is a region inhabited by the Yazidi minority. In August 2014, the Islamic State group attacked Yazidi settlements, killed thousands of people, and abducted thousands of women and children, who were forced into slavery. After Sinjar was liberated in November 2015, dozens of mass graves of murdered Yazidis were discovered in the area.
According to The Jerusalem Post, YBS had ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Türkiye has been fighting for decades. Türkiye has carried out airstrikes in the Sinjar area for years, and YBS have also clashed with Iraqi security forces.
