Shafaq News/ Factions affiliated with the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) stationed in Sinjar district have reportedly appealed to families interested in volunteering to travel to Syria.
A government source in the district shared that one of the conditions for accepting volunteers is to possess an Iraqi passport. Registration of volunteers is taking place secretly in one of the PMF camps.
The source also revealed that three prominent PMF leaders from Sinjar had recently traveled abroad. It was further disclosed that more than 700 volunteers have been approved for registration, each set to receive a monthly salary of $3,000. These volunteers are intended to form a military force stationed along the Iraqi-Syrian border in the western areas of Sinjar district.
The Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, is a state-sponsored umbrella organization of mostly Shia militias in Iraq. The PMF was formed in 2014 to fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
The PMF has been deployed to Sinjar, a Yazidi-majority district in northern Iraq, since 2015. The PMF's presence in Sinjar has been controversial.
In recent months, the PMF has increased its presence in Sinjar, citing the threat of a Turkish military operation. Turkey has long accused the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group, of using Sinjar as a base to launch attacks into Turkey.
There are Yazidis from Sinjar who are members of the PMF factions. Some Yazidis are also members of the Shia-majority Kataib Hezbollah and the Badr Organization.
Whether or not to join the PMF is a complex one for Yazidis. On the one hand, the PMF is a powerful force that can help to protect the Yazidi community from ISIS and other threats. On the other hand, the PMF is also accused of human rights abuses, and some Yazidis worry that joining the PMF could put them at risk.