At a Glance:

• Channel8's camera has reached Mount Shingal (Sinjar).

• Tunnels once held by YBŞ forces have been handed over to the Iraqi army.

• The handover follows the integration of YBŞ into Iraqi forces.

Information obtained by Channel8 shows that Iraqi forces are now stationed at former YBŞ positions on Mount Shingal (Sinjar), as Channel8's camera became among the first to enter the tunnels after their handover to the army.

Key Statements and Focus Area:

• Kurdistan Region's Objection: "Unfortunately, what is taking place in Shingal is outside the Shingal Agreement, and we have conveyed this complaint to the federal government, but it has not been properly listened to." — Reber Ahmed, Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region.

• Baghdad's Position: Sabah Numan, spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief of the Iraqi Armed Forces, called the integration a "historical day" and said it is part of the government's program to bring arms under state control. — Sabah Numan, Spokesperson for the Commander-in-Chief.

• Focus of the Article: The article centers on Channel8's exclusive access to the YBŞ tunnels on Mount Shingal following the force's integration into the Iraqi army and the dispute over how the process was carried out.

Channel8's team travelled to Mount Shingal and entered the tunnel network that YBŞ fighters had used for years, now under the control of the Iraqi army. Army units have deployed across the mountain and taken over security responsibility following the integration process, which was completed on the 26th of this month. The YBŞ was formed after ISIS attacked Shingal and its surroundings to defend the Yazidis. Its fighters deployed on the mountain blocked ISIS from reaching it and held a dense defensive line.

The handover is the first phase of a wider process. YBŞ gave up a headquarters and a tunnel to Iraqi security forces, with about 4,000 members set to join Iraqi security institutions. A military delegation from the Iraqi government visited the mountain on October 24, 2026, and met YBŞ commanders before the move, after which Iraqi forces were scheduled to take over bases, headquarters, and locations previously held by the group.

The step has drawn a cautious response from Erbil. Ahmed warned that no change in Shingal would succeed without consultation and coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government, saying the outcome would not directly help restore peace, stability, or the return of displaced people. This is the backdrop against which the army now holds the mountain.

The path to integration was set in recent weeks. On September 11, Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi met a delegation from the Yazidi Cause Coalition and announced that Shingal’s defense groups would hand their weapons to the state, with the rights of Shingal Protection Units and Women's Units members protected under the law. On September 30, PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan sent a message to YBŞ urging them to join the Iraqi Army.

FYI

Shingal, home to much of Iraq's Yazidi community, was overrun by ISIS in August 2014, when the group carried out mass killings and abductions and thousands fled to the mountain. Several armed groups, including YBŞ, were formed or expanded afterward to protect the area.

The 2020 Shingal Agreement between Baghdad and Erbil sought to place the district under joint administrative and security arrangements, but its implementation has remained a point of dispute between the two sides.

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