World · Middle East · 2 hrs ago
Yazidi armed group in Sinjar to join Iraq’s security forces
Iraq says the Sinjar-based Yazidi group will join federal security forces and end its independent military status.
The group, known as the Sinjar Resistance Units or Sinjar Protection Units, has operated in northern Iraq and has ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
Its fighters helped defend the area from Islamic State, which killed and abducted thousands of Yazidis after advancing into Sinjar in 2014.
The agreement covers 4,165 fighters, including men and women, according to the group’s leadership.
Baghdad says the deal is part of its effort to bring armed groups and their weapons under state control, while some powerful Iraqi militias oppose giving up their arms.
The integration would place security responsibility in Sinjar with federal authorities, including in the area around Mount Sinjar.
The government and the group have not provided a timetable or practical details for the transition.
Iraq’s government said the Sinjar Protection Units, a Yazidi armed group in northern Iraq, would end its independent military status and join federal security forces.
The agreement covers 4,165 fighters, according to the group’s leadership.
Iraqi officials said the move would transfer security responsibility in the Sinjar area to federal authorities.
The group has ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which Turkey designates as a terrorist organization.
The agreement comes amid wider efforts by Iraq’s government to bring armed groups under state control.
- Who
- The Sinjar Protection Units, also called the Sinjar Resistance Units or YBS, and the Iraqi government.
- What
- The group is ending its independent military status and integrating its fighters into Iraq’s official security forces.
- When
- The agreement was announced on Monday, October 26, 2026; a ceremony was reported on October 27.
- Where
- Sinjar district in northern Iraq, including Mount Sinjar.
- Why
- Iraq’s government says it seeks to bring weapons held by armed groups under state control.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Islamic State militants controlled large parts of Iraq, and Yazidis suffered massacres, killings and abductions.
The PKK announced its dissolution and began negotiating with Ankara over efforts to end its insurgency.
Iraq’s government announced an agreement for the Sinjar armed group to disarm and join official security forces.
Milliyet reported that the transfer of YBS-controlled positions to Iraqi security forces had begun and a ceremony was held at Mount Sinjar.
- Fighters covered
- 4,165 according to the group’s leadership; an Iraqi official cited 4,000.
- Location
- Sinjar district and Mount Sinjar, northern Iraq.
- Group
- Sinjar Protection Units, also known as the Sinjar Resistance Units or YBS.
- Ceremony site
- Çelmera, described by Milliyet as the highest point of Mount Sinjar.
- Fighters lost
- The group said it had lost 530 fighters in battles to defend the area.
3 sources
What people are saying
Today a ceremony will be held for the disengagement of the Sinjar Protection Units and their integration into the official Iraqi agencies, transferring security responsibility in Mount Sinjar to the federal authorities
put an end to the independent military status of our forces, which comprise 4,165 fighters, men and women, and integrate them into the federal security system
Today, we are not closing the book on our history, nor are we disavowing the sacrifices made during years of resistance
Rather, we are transitioning from a phase imposed by genocide and war to a new phase of operating within the framework of state institutions