Footage, shared by the PKK-affiliated Denge Chira Shengale news outlet, purportedly shows a group of Iraqi soldiers surrounding a checkpoint in Sinune subdistrict controlled by the PKK-affiliated Ezidkhan Asayish.
Rojnews, another PKK-affiliated news outlet, claimed that the Iraqi army asked Ezidkhan Asayish to hand over the checkpoint but they refused, leading to armed clashes. Two civilians as well as a number of the members of both forces were injured but their identities remain unclear.
The clashes took place late afternoon and lasted for a couple of hours. However, the dispute has not been resolved, according to Rojnews.
Shingal fell under the control of the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2014, leading to the death, abduction or displacement of its mostly-Yazidi population. The town has been controlled by a number of forces after ISIS militants were defeated. The forces are affiliated to the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Iraqi government, pro-Iran Shiite paramilitary groups, or the PKK.
Clashes between the Iraqi army and PKK-affiliated forces in Shingal have taken place several times. The Iraqi government and the KRG signed an agreement in 2020 to “normalise” the situation which includes the withdrawal of all PKK-affiliated forces in the city. The agreement has been rejected by the PKK and its proxies.
The Iraqi army has yet to comment on the fresh clashes.
Turkey launched a new military offensive against the PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region late last night. The PKK media claimed that the Iraqi army is supporting the operation by attacking PKK-affiliated forces in Shingal.
