Thousands Flee after Clashes Erupt in Embattled Iraqi Town

19 April 2022, Iraq, Dohuk: Iraqi Yazidis gather at the Lalish mountain valley during the celebrations of the Red Wednesday, which marks the Yazidi New Year. (dpa)
19 April 2022, Iraq, Dohuk: Iraqi Yazidis gather at the Lalish mountain valley during the celebrations of the Red Wednesday, which marks the Yazidi New Year. (dpa)
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Thousands Flee after Clashes Erupt in Embattled Iraqi Town

19 April 2022, Iraq, Dohuk: Iraqi Yazidis gather at the Lalish mountain valley during the celebrations of the Red Wednesday, which marks the Yazidi New Year. (dpa)
19 April 2022, Iraq, Dohuk: Iraqi Yazidis gather at the Lalish mountain valley during the celebrations of the Red Wednesday, which marks the Yazidi New Year. (dpa)

Thousands or people fled a northern Iraqi town amid fierce clashes between the army and an armed faction linked to a Kurdish separatist group, the military and local Iraqi Kurdish officials said Monday.

At least 3,000 people left Sinjar and its surrounding areas, the officials said, and headed farther north toward the semi-autonomous Kurdish region to seek asylum. They left when clashes intensified on Monday between the Iraqi army and the Yazidi Resistance Forces (YBS), a group with ties to the Turkish insurgent Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK.

Many were Yazidis displaced during the 2014 ISIS onslaught and are bracing for another round of violence after returning to their homes only a few years ago.

Most of the displaced were distributed across camps in the Kurdish region, said Pir Dayan, director of the migration and crisis response department in Dohuk province, in the Kurdish-run region. The Kurdistan government has formed a committee to deal with the situation.

The violence erupted when the Iraqi military launched an operation late Sunday to clear the area of YBS forces, most of them comprised of members from the Yazidi religious minority. By Monday, the fighting spread to other areas in Sinjar district.

In a statement, the Iraqi military said Monday the offensive was to dismantle YBS checkpoints erected in Sinjar that have prevented citizens from returning to their homes and undermined Iraqi state authorities. When Iraqi military units confronted YBS forces, the statement said, they were met with heavy fire, snipers and explosives-laden devices on the roads.

The YBS has controlled much of Sinjar since 2014 driving out ISIS from the district with assistance from the PKK. Their continued presence in the area has drawn the ire of Turkey, which has been battling the PKK since the 1980s. It has led to regular Turkish military offensives on Iraqi soil to root them out.

In October 2020, Baghdad and the Kurdistan government signed an agreement to jointly manage Sinjar to restore the state’s hold over the patchwork of militia groups and competing authorities in the area after the defeat of ISIS. But this has proven largely unsuccessful.



Sudanese Army Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Darfur

Smoke rises in the sky over Khartoum following armed clashes that left dozens dead and injured (AFP)
Smoke rises in the sky over Khartoum following armed clashes that left dozens dead and injured (AFP)
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Sudanese Army Airstrikes Kill Dozens in Darfur

Smoke rises in the sky over Khartoum following armed clashes that left dozens dead and injured (AFP)
Smoke rises in the sky over Khartoum following armed clashes that left dozens dead and injured (AFP)

More than 60 people have been killed and over 250 injured in airstrikes by the Sudanese military on the town of Kouma in North Darfur. This incident is being described by observers as one of the “largest massacres” of civilians since the conflict began.

Dozens more have died in separate attacks targeting the areas of Meilit, Wad Abu Saleh, and Um Duwain in Khartoum, with increasing calls for a ban on military flights by the Sudanese army.

Witnesses told Asharq Al-Awsat that the military targeted Kouma’s market on Friday morning, dropping explosive barrels that caused widespread destruction. Many victims were shopping at the bustling “Friday market,” and the death toll is expected to rise due to a lack of medical care for the injured.

The attacks are viewed as deliberate assaults on civilians, particularly since there were no Rapid Support Forces (RSF) present in the crowded market. Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with bodies scattered throughout the area.

In Meilit, airstrikes also targeted a wedding celebration, killing about 13 people and injuring others. Activists and eyewitnesses deny the presence of the RSF in these locations, despite military claims that air operations are directed at them.

Political and human rights groups have condemned the escalating airstrikes and called for an immediate ban on military flights in Darfur.

The Civil Democratic Forces Coordination (Tagadum) stated that the Kouma market attack was a severe violation against civilians, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries.

The group expressed concern about ongoing violations against civilians in Sudan and highlighted the need for international attention to protect innocent lives. They urged the warring parties to cease hostilities and engage in negotiations to end the conflict.