Families of YBŞ fighters who were captured in an ambush by the Iraqi army started a sit-in in front of the Iraqi Intelligence Center in Shengal to demand the release of their children.
On 18 March, the Iraqi army set up an ambush in the Yazidi city of Shengal (Sinjar) in northern Iraq and took five fighters of the Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) prisoner, injuring a commander and two fighters.
Following the attack against YBŞ fighters, the Iraqi army deployed a large number of troops to the center of Shengal. On 19 March, the residents of Shengal started resistance against the army. Women and young people led the resistance, which eventually forced the Iraqi forces to withdraw two days later. However, since the wounded fighters who were taken prisoner have not yet been released, protests by the residents continue.
Despite intense reactions, the fighters have not yet been released. Families started a sit-in protest in front of the Iraqi Intelligence Center in central Shengal.
The mothers held banners reading 'We will never submit to the government’s oppression’ and 'Our protest will continue until our children are released'.
On March 30, the families demanding the release of the fighters sent a letter to human rights organizations, the UN, the EU and the 14 states that recognized the 74th mass slaughter against Yazidis as genocide to put international pressure on Baghdad.
