Hashd al-Shaabi Presence Discourages Yezidi IDPs from Returning: Sinjar Council


The presence of Iraqi Shi’ite militias of Hashd al-Shaabi are the reason of Yezidi IDP’s reluctance to return home even though their areas liberated from Islamic State (IS), said a Yezidi official.


After the Hashd al-Shaabi moved into Yezid areas around Sinjar under the pretext of advancing against IS, the Yezidi IDPs grow hesitance to return to their areas as they are concerned about the security of their families, said Wais Naif, head of Sinjar Mayor Council.


The official said according to their plans and anticipations, a large number of IDPs were about leaving camps to home during summer this time, but it may not happen with threats posed by the Shi’ite militias on Sinjar.


As part of anti-IS operations, Hashd al-Shaabi has stationed its fighters in western Sinjar territories bordering with Syria. Although called upon by Kurdish Peshmerga forces to evacuate the region and prevent further complexities, the Shi’ite fighters thus far deny to withdraw.

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