YBŞ, YJŞ announce integration of 4,156 fighters into federal security system

The leadership of the YBŞ and YJŞ announced today that they had reached an agreement with the Iraqi federal government to end the two forces’ independent military status and integrate them into the federal security system. It stressed that the agreement must be upheld by guaranteeing all Yazidi rights, noting that the two units comprise 4,165 male and female fighters.

In a statement received by Roj News on Monday, October 26, 2026, the leadership of the YBŞ said the agreement stemmed from its belief in Iraq’s unity and sovereignty and its commitment to strengthening security and stability in Shengal. It stressed that the understandings must be implemented in a manner that guarantees the rights of male and female fighters, preserves the dignity of the martyrs, and protects Shengal’s security, the rights of its people, and the area’s distinct identity.

The leadership stressed that the agreement marked a transition from a phase shaped by genocide and war to one of working within state institutions. It noted that the agreement’s success depended on addressing the consequences of the genocide against the Yazidis, determining the fate of missing persons, securing justice for victims’ families, creating conditions for the return of displaced people and the reconstruction of Shengal, and ensuring that the tragedy never happens again.

The statement reads:

“In the name of God and the great Tawûsê Melek.

In honor of the blood of the martyrs and to preserve the dignity of our people, we remember the martyrs of the Yazidi genocide and all the martyrs of Iraq, foremost among them the martyred commander Aba Nouri, Mam Zaki, Sheikh Khairi, the martyrs Berivan and Pervin, the martyr Zarešt Shingali, the martyr pilot Majid al-Tamimi, the fasting martyr Marwan Badal, and everyone who gave their life in defense of Iraq’s land, people, and sovereignty, as well as all those who supported the Yazidi community from the first days of the genocide to the present day. Their sacrifices and noble stances will remain a trust placed upon our shoulders and a commitment that the passage of years cannot erase.

Believing in Iraq’s unity and sovereignty and seeking to strengthen security and stability in Sinjar, we announce that we have reached an agreement with the Iraqi federal government to end the independent military status of our forces, the Sinjar Resistance Units and the Sinjar Women’s Units, which comprise 4,165 male and female fighters, and integrate them into the federal security system, placing weapons exclusively under state control. This will be carried out within the established legal and institutional frameworks and in accordance with the agreed understandings, laying the foundations for a new phase of national partnership and shared responsibility.

This agreement comes against the backdrop of Shengal’s history and the genocide suffered by our Yazidi people in August 2014 at the hands of ISIS militants, when they faced killing, enslavement, displacement, and the threat of annihilation. At a time when nearly one-third of Iraq’s territory, including Nineveh Governorate, fell under the control of the terrorist organization, Mount Shengal/Sinjar remained steadfast, defended by its heroes and the sons and daughters of the Yazidi resistance, who protected their people, land, and dignity and embodied the meaning of resistance and survival in the face of genocide.

At that critical moment, the Sinjar Resistance Units and the Women’s Units in Sinjar emerged from suffering and the determination to survive, defending a people subjected to genocide, a land threatened with eradication, and a dignity that refused to be broken. Our male and female fighters fought battles to defend and liberate our people, and we lost 530 martyrs and sustained hundreds of wounded in defense of our people and land. We were the first to raise the Iraqi flag in Sinjar after defeating the terrorist ISIS organization, affirming that Shengal/Sinjar is an inseparable part of Iraq and that our defense of our people has never been separate from our national responsibility.

Today, we are not closing the book on our history or turning our backs on the sacrifices made during years of resistance. Rather, we are moving from a phase imposed by genocide and war to one of working within state institutions. We affirm that placing weapons exclusively under state control and unifying security decision-making are fundamental to consolidating sovereignty, preventing the return of terrorism, and strengthening stability. The implementation of the agreement must go hand in hand with protecting the rights of male and female fighters, preserving the dignity of the martyrs, and safeguarding Sinjar’s security, the rights of its people, and its distinct identity.

The strength of a state is measured not only by its ability to assert its authority, but also by its ability to embrace its people, recognize their sacrifices, and guarantee their rights. Accordingly, the agreement’s success requires serious implementation of the understandings, addressing the consequences of the genocide, determining the fate of missing persons, securing justice for victims’ families, creating conditions for the return of displaced people and the reconstruction of Sinjar, and ensuring that the tragedy never happens again. We also stress the importance of strengthening the role of civil institutions and local administration in Shengal and consolidating democracy in a way that guarantees the participation of all its communities and makes the area a common home for all its people.

We extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Iraqi prime minister, government, security, political, and social bodies, the relevant committees and delegations, everyone who supported the Yazidi community from the first days of the genocide to the present day, and all those who contributed to the success of the dialogue, bringing viewpoints closer together, and overcoming obstacles. We hope this spirit of national responsibility will continue throughout the implementation phase, ensuring the agreement’s sustainability and fulfillment of its objectives while opening new prospects for stability, cooperation, and service to all the people of Sinjar.

To the families of the martyrs, the wounded, and the missing, and to our Yazidi people and all Iraqis, we affirm that our sacrifices were never made for weapons themselves, but for humanity, land, dignity, and life. We fulfilled our duty on the battlefield, and today we continue to shoulder our responsibility in a new phase, with Iraq’s unity and sovereignty, Sinjar’s security, the dignity of its people, and the building of a safe and just future for all its residents firmly in our sights.

True loyalty to the martyrs does not mean remaining prisoners of war, but protecting what they gave their lives for. The greatest victory over genocide is for our people to remain alive, free, safe, present on their land, and with their rights protected in their homeland, Iraq.”

A-H 

ANHA