A reconnaissance plane reportedly conducted an airstrike on a house located in the centre of Sinjar (Shengal), a town in northern Iraq predominantly inhabited by the Yazidi religious minority. The attack, which occurred on Thursday at around 14:30 local time, resulted in significant damage to the targeted property but no casualties were reported.
The Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ), the Yazidi militia, has issued a call for resistance against ongoing assaults and strongly condemned Turkey for organising the airstrikes, allegedly aimed at impeding the return of Yazidis to Sinjar.
The YBŞ statement highlighted Turkey’s increasing air operations over Sinjar, citing similar attacks in the recent past, including one on a guesthouse just a week ago. The group alleges that the strikes, such as the one on Thursday, specifically targeted residential areas. They argue that the actions taken by the Turkish government, in the aftermath of elections in Turkey, are intended to undermine the peace and security of Sinjar.
In response to these aggressive actions, the YBŞ has called on the local population to “stand up against the Turkish occupiers and prevent their dominance over the sacred lands of Sinjar”.
The timing of the attack coincides with Turkey’s presidential elections and the Iraqi army’s siege of the Makhmour (Mexmûr) refugee camp in Iraq, adding a new layer of complexity to an already volatile region.
