Ezidis of Sinjar fleeing PKK ranks: Peshmerga commander

By Idris Okuducu

ERBIL, Iraq

The Peshmerga commander in Mosul’s Sinjar district said Wednesday that about 500 Ezidis in the terrorist PKK group have laid down their weapons and applied to join his group.

"The Ezidis joining Peshmerga forces will be trained in the military facility at the Mosul dam," Kasım Seso told Anatolia Agency.

Stressing that the mission of removing the PKK from Sinjar continues, Seso added: "The first step is to ensure that all Ezidis lay down their arms. Deprived of Ezidi militant support, getting the terrorist organization out of Sinjar will be easier."

"Those who joined Peshmerga forces are regretful and say that they were deceived by the [PKK] organization," he asserted.

Saying that the PKK is insisting on staying in Sinjar despite calls by the local Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) to leave, he added that all the Ezidis are expected to leave the terror group within a few weeks.

When the terrorist organization Daesh attacked Ezidis in August 2014, the PKK established a large number of military camps in the region -- notably Mt. Sinjar.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU. It has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, during which more than 40,000 people have been killed.

Since the group resumed its armed campaign in July 2015, more than 1,200 people, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives.

*Ali Murat Alhas contributed to this report from Ankara.