Hashd al-Shaabi wants to expand its influence in Sinjar. Pro-Iran Shiite militias are setting up the second brigade in the Yazidi city, despite requests from Baghdad and Kurdistan. There is a risk of an escalation of violence

Hashd al-Shaabi, the pro-Iran Iraqi militias, are setting up a new brigade in Sinjar, the second. Local sources reveal it. The first was created recently and is made up of about 2,000 Shiite fighters. Objective: to expand the influence and presence in the area. This was despite requests from Baghdad and the provincial government for the group to leave the city where the Yazidi majority live, in order to allow the return of the displaced. The thesis is corroborated by the fact that Falih al-Fayyadh, head of formation, recently paid a visit to Sinjar. The expansion of the Shiite militia is a wake-up call for Kurdistan and for Baghdad, as it risks bringing violence back to the quadrant, which seeks to return to normal after the massacres carried out by ISIS between 2014 and 2017, causing thousands of deaths and an estimated 200,000 displaced, according to Reliefweb.