ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A video released by the Islamic State on Thursday appears to show a group of Kurdish fighters under the command of a jihadist militia that calls itself "Salahaddin." In the propaganda video, titled “Defeating Safawis,” the fighters speak in Kurdish to pledging loyalty to Abu Bakr Baghdadi, the Islamic State leader and the self-proclaimed “Caliph of Muslims.” Nearly 500 Kurds joined ISIS last year, according to reports, but the number has declined since ISIS attacked areas in the Kurdistan region. A series of photos released Sunday by the Islamic State appear to show former Erbil-based preacher Mullah Shwan taking part in the beheading of four hostages apparently belonging to the Hashd al-Shaabi, or Popular Mobilization Units.
Kurdistan04-06-2026Kurdish leader rejects ‘incorrect interpretations’ over the status of Peshmerga arms
