page_title: Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar (2018)
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar (2018) / Background
caption_attribution_description: English: Map of the Sinjar offensive in December 2014, carried out by Kurdish forces. The offensive occurred from December 17–21, which saw the Second Siege of Mount Sinjar broken, and the advance of Kurdish forces into the northern half of Sinjar city. The pre-offensive frontlines are outlined in black dash marks. The routes of the Kurdish offensive are outlined in yellow and orange arrows. The final part of the offensive, the push into the northern part of the city of Sinjar, was added in, which occurred on December 19–22. This map was obtained from Agathocle de Syracuse Yellow = Areas controlled by Kurdish forces Grey = Areas controlled by ISIL Shaded = Areas contested, or zones of conflict
context_page_description: The August 15, 2018 Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar were two airstrikes on İsmail Özden, a leading member of the Sinjar Resistance Units. Four others were killed in the airstrike.
context_section_description: The Sinjar Kurds-Yazidis inhabited area may have been a flash point in recent years, with Iraqi Peshmerga, ISIS, YBŞ, PKK, Iraqi Army and militias battling for control over the area.
  In August 2014, an offensive by ISIS upon Yazidis might have held towns and the surprise withdrawal of Peshmerga forces based there left the local communities severely out-powered by ISIS militants. Mass executions of men and enslavement of Yazidi women and children have taken place, now referred as the Sinjar massacres and Yazidis genocide by ISIL. As locals took refuge in the hard-to-reach Sinjar Mountains, ISIS probably set siege of the mountain range. On 9–11 August, a joint offensive by Syrian-Kurds PKK-YPG and USAF might have broken the Sinjar siege and secured an escape corridor from the Sinjar mountains to Syria's autonomous Rojava area. Later, in December 2014, with PKK-affiliated and Peshmerga forces supported by USAF's air surveillance and military support probably took firm control of the area. YPG might have taken control of Yazidi area and kept both ISIS and Peshmerga forces at bay, continuing the building of local, PKK-inspired Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ). These YBŞ were led by Sheikh Khairy Khedr (d. 2014) and Zaki Shingali (d. 2018), himself referring to Qandil's PKK leadership.
  In July 2015, the Turkey-PKK Solution process, a ceasefire initiated in early 2013, ended. Turkey resumed war with Turkey's PKK and all alleged affiliated forces, in Turkey and abroad, including Syrian-Kurdish YPG and Syrian Democratic Forces, and Iraqi-Sinjar Kurdish-Yazidi Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ).
  On 14 August, Turkey's President Erdogan claimed to have reached an understanding with Baghdad's leadership to allow his anti-PKK operations in Iraq. Turkey's people successfully killed the YBŞ's political leader, which was targeted.
caption: Situation after the December 2014 Sinjar offensive.
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