International wing of Yazidi force in Sinjar says it's 'not fighting Turkey'

After three Western deserters claimed that the YBS forces were fighting Turkey and Iraq, the commander of the international brigade denied the allegations.
A picture taken on Feb. 4, 2019, shows a general view of damaged buildings in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar.
A picture taken on Feb. 4, 2019, shows a general view of damaged buildings in the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar. - ZAID AL-OBEIDI/AFP via Getty Images
Amberin Zaman headshot (new)
Amberin Zaman
@amberinzaman

The commander of an international volunteers’ brigade linked to a Yazidi force in Iraq’s Sinjar region has rejected allegations that they are fighting against the Turkish army and Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

“We are here to defend the autonomy of this region. We are not here to fight Turkey or Iraq. We are here to fight DAESH,” said the commander, a 52-year old Spaniard, whose nom de guerre is Bahoz. He was using the Arab acronym for the Islamic State.

Access the Middle East news and analysis you can trust

Join our community of Middle East readers to experience all of Al-Monitor, including 24/7 news, analyses, memos, reports and newsletters.

Subscribe

Only $100 per year.

Videos

See more