Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani (right) and Iraqi lawmaker Murad Ismael (left) in a meeting on February 21, 2026. Photo: Sudani’s office
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A Yazidi lawmaker said Saturday that he discussed the integration of Yazidi armed individuals into Iraq’s security apparatus during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
Murad Ismael, who was a US-based Yazidi activist before securing a seat in the Iraqi parliament last year, said in a statement on X that he and Sudani discussed “the integration of Yazidis who took up arms after 2014 into Iraq’s official institutions, in full alignment with the Constitution and the law, in a manner that upholds the principle of restricting arms to the state and reinforces durable stability in Sinjar.”
Ismael has been advocating for the integration of all-Yazidi armed formations, including the Yazidi-led Shingal Resistance Units (YBS), into state institutions in recent weeks.
He also praised Sudani’s “ongoing efforts to address these critical matters in a way that serves Iraq’s supreme national interest, strengthens its sovereignty and security, and ensures lasting stability for the Yazidi community.”
However, a statement from Sudani’s office did not mention the Yazidi fighters.
According to Sudani’s office, the meeting addressed issues related to the Yazidi heartland of Shingal (Sinjar) district in Nineveh province, including service, social, and economic conditions, as well as the situation of displaced residents and requirements for their return.
Sudani reaffirmed “the government’s commitment to serving all Iraqis, especially the components that made great sacrifices and were targeted by [Islamic State] ISIS terrorist gangs, including the Yazidi component, in a manner that ensures expediting the return of the displaced and rebuilding their lives in a safe and stable environment.”
The issue of armed groups in Shingal has drawn regional attention. In January, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Shingal, along with Makhmour and Mount Qandil, would “witness changes in the near future,” adding that after Syrian army’s takeover of much of Kurdish-run areas northeast Syria (Rojava), “the Iraqi phase” would follow. Ankara is a strong supporter of the interim government in Damascus.
“Hopefully, Iraq will draw lessons from what has happened here (in Syria) and make wiser decisions so that the transition there will be easier,” Fidan said.
Fidan’s remarks angered the Iraqi government, with the foreign ministry summoning the Turkish ambassador. Ankara later said that Fidan’s comments had been misinterpreted.
The Qandil mountainous area, located at the triangle border of Iraq, Iran and Turkey, is the headquarters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), while Shingal is home to the YBS. The all-Yazidi group is widely seen as a PKK offshoot in Iraq.
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