YPG in Sinjar and around

[fab]

Since the fall of Sinjar and humanitarian need of action in the mountains around, YPG has been active there, apparently in the beginning with the approval of the KRG. It seems that YPG leads the fight against IS in Sinjar and controls the mountains. Am I wrong?
Do you have more information about the situation there? Do KRG and YPG have common views about what happens next?
It seems that YPG went there because KRG didn't want and/or could't do it (huge difference).
Will YPG let the KRG take control of Sinjar and the mountains around after the offensive?
And what's the position of the US? It seems that, at least unofficialy, they support the YPG in its action. Have you read something about that?

[fab]

PKK and YPG Hinder Peshmerga and US in Attacking Sinjar
14.08.2014
Mewan Dolamari
BasNews, Erbil

According to BasNews sources, Kurdish Peshmerga forces along with US Military help wanted to free the town of Sinjar, however, Kurdish YPG fighters prevented them to attack the town which has been under the control of IS Milatants since August 6th.

On Wednesday night, Kurdish Peshmerga forces with the support of US military advisers make plans near Sinjar Mountain, intent on attacking Sinjar town which lay far below, crawling with IS militants.

However according to Peshmerga sources, their efforts have been hindered, by guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the People’s Protection Units (YPG), who requested use of their forces as well to help fight in Sinjar.

Furthermore sources from the US government in Washington, say PKK threats hindered and caused US commanders’ plans to recapture Sinjar to fail, because the US is not ready to cooperate with PKK, as it is registered as a terrorist group on the US list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

Meanwhile, a senior PKK commander didn’t reject those information that they became obstacle in front of Peshmerga force in freeing Sinjar.

“Even though I don’t have a lot of information about the events you are talking about, but Sinjar is part of Kurdistan and its our land and we will protect it as well,” Tekoshar Zagros a senior PKK commander told BasNews.

A Peshmerga commander in Sinjar told BasNews that the YPG, the Syrian-Kurdish wing of the PKK, has opened a military training center in the Sinjar Mountains for members of the Yazidi Reform Movement. The movement, which believes Yazidis are not Kurds, has brewed strong feelings of hatred toward Iraqi Kurdish ruling party the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), who is doing all they can to help the stranded Yazidis.

The commander also stated that after control of Sinjar by the Islamic State (IS) insurgents earlier this month, Peshmerga forces fought tirelessly to rescue tens of thousands of Yazidi refugees on Sinjar Mountain that fled there to protect themselves by opening a road from Sinjar Mountain to Syrian Kurdistan. The refugees were then assisted to Zakho, Duhok through the Semelka Border crossing.

After rescuing Yazidi refugees, Peshmerga forces, with the cooperation of YPG and PKK fighters, went to Sinjar Mountain to make plans of ousting IS from Sinjar city. Trouble has been brewing as PKK and YPG try and convince people that the Peshmerga forces have not, in fact, been protecting people and will not do so in Sinjar areas.

Media close to the PKK spread rumors that the YPG and PKK forces originally took control back the Yazidi majority town from IS, yet the area is still quite heavily under the control of the Islamic State.

http://basnews.com/en/News/Details/PKK-and-YPG-Hinder-Peshmerga-and-US-in-Attacking-Sinjar/30426

[Anthea]

Sadly many media sites are filled with propaganda, misinformation and wishful thinking

Personally other than the large mainstream media such as Reuters, BBC, Huffington Post and some newspapers such as the Telegraph, Independent and Guardian - who tend to stick their reports in front line firing zones, very little genuine information is coming out of the region. Rudaw is good - I know for a fact that they have had reporters on Sinjar mountain

RBK has a list of media sites for the Kurdish regions that you might find helpful:

Top Kurdish News Agencies - your favorite kurdish news site-

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=11047

[fab]

Peshmerga and Syrian Kurdish Forces Agree to Fight Together for Shingal
YÛSİF EHMED
Rudaw

DUHOK, Kurdistan Region – Kurdistan’s Peshmerga forces have agreed to fight together with the People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the push to retake the Yezidi town of Shingal from Islamic State (IS/formerly ISIS) jihadis, a commander said.

Qasim Shesho, the commander of Peshmerga forces on Mount Shingal, announced that an agreement had been reached with the YPG, after representatives came to apologize for incidents that had raised tensions.

One of those acts, which had been harshly criticized by Shesho, was a YPG attempt to raise the flag of their Democratic Union Party (PYD) at the tomb of Sheikh Sherefeddin, the second-most sacred site for Yezidis.

“There are around 200 PYD fighters on Mount Shingal. We have reached an agreement to cooperate for the liberation of Shingal,” Shesho said.

“They came and apologized and said that those who committed that action do not represent the PYD,” Shesho reported. “They said let’s unite and work together to free Shingal.”

Shesho also said the delegation had told him that Kurdistan Region President Massoud Barzani had visited YPG fighters in Makhmour.

He added that the YPG/PYD representatives “promised to stay with us and support us until we retake Shingal. They said they will help us liberate Shingal and then they will go back to Rojava.”

IS forces stormed Shingal last month, killing thousands, taking women as slaves and driving tens of thousands from their homes. The Yezidis are considered “unbelievers” to the ultra-orthodox IS.

[Anthea]

Let us hope that both the PKK and KRG remember that the object is to free Sinjar and the surrounding area of IS so and keep it safe so that the Yazidis will be able to return