Sinjar: Iraqi officers injured in PKK-affiliated firefight
Shafaq News/ Three Iraqi personnel, including a battalion commander in the army and a police officer, were injured during a clash with militants from the Sinjar Protection Units (YBS) faction, which is loyal to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), in the Sinjar district, a security source in Nineveh province reported on Tuesday.
The source told Shafaq News Agency that a joint force of the army and police engaged in a firefight with two members of "Yabsha" after they were cornered in the Sinjar area.
The militants threw a hand grenade at the security forces, resulting in the injuries of the army battalion commander, a police officer, and another personnel with varying degrees of wounds.
The clash broke out when the vehicle carrying the militants passed through a security checkpoint that had been set up in the area as part of a search operation for a kidnapped civilian. When the militants failed to comply with security orders, a chase ensued, leading to the exchange of gunfire.
The source confirmed that the security forces managed to capture the two armed militants, and an extensive investigation has been launched into the incident, with indications that there may be additional individuals involved in the case.
Sinjar district in Nineveh province has witnessed periodic conflicts, sometimes escalating into gunfights between the Iraqi army and members of the YBS militants. These clashes have resulted in casualties on both sides.
The forces loyal to the PKK have refused to implement the Iraqi army's order to "evacuate all armed forces from the district," instead maintaining their presence in security points among civilians.
The PKK has established a faction loyal to it known as the YBS which receives salaries from the Iraqi government as part of its affiliation with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).
