The YBŞ Command stated that five of their fighters were taken prisoner by the Iraqi army as a result of a planned attack and demanded their immediate release, emphasizing that they would not be responsible for any negative consequences.
The Shengal Resistance Units (YBŞ) Command reported that Iraqi troops carried out a planned attack around 23:00 on the night of 18 March and captured five YBŞ fighters, some of whom were wounded in the process.
Refuting the statements made by the Iraqi army as baseless, the YBŞ Command said: “A group of Iraqi soldiers attacked a vehicle belonging to our YBŞ forces treacherously. As a result, five of our comrades are now in the hands of the Iraqi army. Although our comrades were wounded, they were insulted and these insults were shared on digital media networks. We still do not know the fate of these five comrades.”
“Despite the incident, we wanted to solve the problems with the Iraqi army, but our efforts were not taken into consideration. To date, we have always approached the problems that have arisen in the field with a sense of responsibility and tried to solve them amicably, regardless of the events. We have acted with a sense of responsibility, taking into account the security of the region,” the statement said.
The YBŞ Command denounced the statements that referred to YBŞ fighters as “mercenaries” who would be tried within the scope of “terrorism” crimes, emphasizing that the YBŞ is a self-sacrificing force that liberated Shengal from ISIS and ensured its security.
According to the statement, the YBŞ fighters targeted by Iraqi troops were ambushed while they were on duty and passed through a road in the city center they use all the time. YBŞ accused the Iraqi state’s commanders of the provocation.
The statement continued: “We strongly condemn this action against our YBŞ forces. As a military force, we do not accept this incident and demand the immediate release of our comrades. We will do whatever it takes for their release. As we, however, want this incident to be resolved without any problems, we as the Yazidi people and the defense forces of Shengal, call on the Iraqi forces to act responsibly. Our detained and wounded comrades are the army’s responsibility. So, the army is also responsible for the lives of our comrades, who must be released immediately to avoid bigger problems. If this is delayed, the state itself will be responsible for what happens.”
