Iraqi Army Takes Command of Mount Sinjar as 2,500 Fighters Join State

The Iraqi Army assumed direct control of positions atop Mount Sinjar on Monday, marking the official start of the state’s absorption of the Sinjar Resistance Units. Approximately 2,500 local fighters from the group are now expected to join the Iraqi security forces. Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi announced the measure last month following a meeting with a delegation from the Yazidi Cause Alliance. The ceremony concluded a period of political dispute over the governance of the Sinjar governorate.

The Sinjar Resistance Units, also known as YBS, were formed in the 2000s to protect the Yazidi minority. The group mobilized in August 2014 to fight the Islamic State, which killed at least 5,000 Yazidis and abducted thousands of women and girls during a genocide in the region. The YBS has maintained a dominant presence in the area since that conflict, despite previous agreements aimed at removing non-state actors from the district.

Murad Ismael, an Iraqi MP and leader of the Yazidi Cause Alliance, stated that the implementation began with the handover of key positions to the army. He noted that the integration will span multiple branches of the security forces, not just a single unit. Lists of names for the fighters were submitted to the state on Monday to facilitate the administrative process.

The Kurdistan Regional Government voiced concern on Tuesday. Interior Minister Reber Ahmed argued that Baghdad should have implemented the UN-backed 2020 Sinjar agreement first. That agreement would have removed the YBS and other groups from the governorate. Ahmed warned that steps taken without consultation with the KRG would not restore stability or help displaced Yazidis return to their homes.

Baghdad defended its authority over the region. Sabah al-Numan, the spokesperson for the prime minister, said the reorganization reinforces the rule of law and places weapons under official federal control. Turkey, which had long opposed the YBS due to its links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, welcomed the move. The Turkish Ministry of Defence stated on Wednesday that it supported Iraq’s efforts to strengthen state authority in Sinjar.

Ahmad Shingali, a journalist based in Sinjar, described the situation as a proxy conflict driven by the interests of Iran and Turkey. He noted that the fall of the Assad regime in Syria in 2024 reduced the area’s strategic importance to Iran. Shingali said the struggle is primarily a clash between the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party and federal factions over control of the district.

Administrative and reconstruction challenges remain unresolved. The Nineveh Provincial Council has opened a nomination window for a district mayor, a position that has been vacant since the 2023 provincial elections. According to an August report from the International Organization for Migration and the UN Refugee Agency, 89,709 people, mostly Yazidis, remain displaced in camps in the Kurdistan Region. Yazidi activist Mirza Dinnayi said the next steps depend on the political will of all partners to address compensation and reconstruction.

The Iraqi government is working with local authorities to select a consensus administration for Sinjar. Numan said Baghdad has plans for economic development and the reconstruction of the city. The government aims to establish conditions that facilitate the safe return of displaced families to their homes.