Iraqi army could use force to remove PKK from Sinjar, Official

Haidar Shesho, the commander of the Izdakhana forces in the Peshmerga Ministry told Shafaq News Agency that The Iraqi army gave the Asayish Izdakhana forces loyal to PKK until the first of April to leave the center and the government buildings in Sinjar, “otherwise, force may be used.”

Shesho added; The Iraqi government insists on implementing the Sinjar agreement by “expelling the irregular forces from Mount Sinjar since the presence of these forces is not in the interest of the people of Sinjar and the region.”

Last October, The Iraqi government announced that Baghdad had reached a “historic deal” with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) over the governance and security of Sinjar.

The deal ends the authority of intruding groups and paves the way for the reconstruction of the district and the full return of its people in coordination between Erbil and Baghdad.

On security axis of the Agreement, the local police, the National Security and Intelligence services take responsibility within the district while all armed factions are deported outside the borders of Sinjar including PKK.

But officials said PKK forces are still deployed in Sinjar contrary to what the Iraqi joint operations announced that all armed factions withdrew from the district.