Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar (2018)
The August 15, 2018, Turkish airstrikes on Sinjar were two airstrikes on İsmail Özden, a leading member of the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ). Four others were killed in the airstrike. Background In the 21st century, Iraqi Peshmerga, ISIS, YBŞ-PKK, Iraqi Army, and militias have battled for control over the Sinjar area. In August 2014, an offensive by ISIS upon Yazidi-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 took place, now referred as the Sinjar massacres and Yazidis genocide by ISIL. As locals took refuge in the hard-to-reach Sinjar mountains, ISIS set siege of the mountain range. On 9–11 August, a joint offensive by Syrian-Kurds PKK-YPG and USAF broke Sinjar siege and secured an escape corridor from Sinjar mountains to Syria's autonomous Rojava area. Later, the December 2014 Sinjar offensive with PKK-affiliated and Peshmerga forces supported by USAF's air surveillance and military support took firm control of the area. YPG took 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