Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jun 20, 2025

Estimated 3,000 people flee armed clashes in northern Iraq

Estimated 3,000 people flee armed clashes in northern Iraq

Clashes first erupted on Sunday when the Iraqi military launched an operation to clear the area of YBS forces.

Thousands of people have fled a northern Iraqi town amid fierce clashes between the army and a militia linked to a Kurdish separatist group, the military and local Iraqi Kurdish officials said.

At least 3,000 people left Sinjar and its surrounding areas on Monday and headed north towards the semi-autonomous Kurdish region to seek safety.

Clashes first erupted late on Sunday when the Iraqi military launched an operation to clear the area of YBS forces, a militia group with ties to the Turkish Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and mostly comprised of members from the Yazidi religious minority.

The fighting between the Iraqi army and the YBS intensified on Monday, spreading to other areas in Sinjar district.

The Iraqi military said the offensive was to dismantle YBS checkpoints that had prevented citizens from returning to their homes and undermined Iraqi state authorities.

Soldiers attempted to open the roads but came under “heavy fire”, the military said in a statement, referencing the presence of “snipers on the rooftops” and mine-riddled roads.

Sherwan al-Douberdani, a provincial deputy, told AFP that one Iraqi soldier was killed, while a senior army official said two other soldiers were injured.

The clashes also killed a dozen Yazidi fighters, according to the army official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Most of those displaced by the fighting are now distributed across camps in the Kurdish region, according to Pir Dayan, director of the migration and crisis response department in Dohuk province, in the Kurdish-run region.

The Kurdistan regional government has formed a committee to deal with the situation.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad, a Yazidi enslaved for months by Islamic State group fighters who brutalised her community in 2014, called on Monday for an end to the violence.


The United Nations mission in Iraq tweeted to condemn the latest violence, saying it was “deeply concerned about clashes in Sinjar”, which had “grave consequences for civilians”.

“Sinjaris’ safety and security should be front and centre. They’ve suffered enormously in the past and deserve peace under state authority,” the UN added.

The YBS has controlled much of Sinjar since 2014, when it drove the ISIL (ISIS) group out of the district with assistance from the PKK.

The PKK’s continued presence in the area has drawn the ire of Turkey, which has been battling the group since the 1980s, and has led to regular Turkish military offensives on Iraqi soil to root them out.

In October 2020, Baghdad and the Kurdistan government signed an agreement to jointly manage Sinjar in order to restore the state’s hold over the patchwork of militia groups and competing authorities in the area after the defeat of ISIL. But this has proven largely unsuccessful.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Saudi Arabia Faces Uncertainty Over Succession After Mohammed bin Salman
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
Head of Gaza Aid Group Resigns Amid Humanitarian Concerns
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
×