Iraq’s border guards stop dozens from Sinjar attempting to enter Syria
Shafaq News– Nineveh
Dozens of residents from Sinjar district in Nineveh province, northern Iraq, plan to head toward the Iraq–Syria border via the closed Al-Faw crossing, responding to a general mobilization call issued by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a security source said on Tuesday.
The SDF earlier called on Kurdish youth to join the “resistance,” citing attacks targeting its areas in northern and eastern Syria, which it attributed to Turkiye.
Ji bo gelê me ê Berxwedêr ji 06 Çileyê ve, herêmên me û gelê me rasterast rastî êrîşên hov û barbaran ne tê. li hember van êrîşan de, şervanên me bi cesaret û fedakariyeke mezin şer dikin û bi awayekî bi rûmet şerê xwe dewam dikin. Îro, dewleta Tirk û çeteyên wê yên bi…
— Syrian Democratic Forces (@SDF_Syria) January 19, 2026
The source told Shafaq News that border guard forces intervened and blocked the crossing “to safeguard security and prevent illegal movement,” explaining that Al-Faw is a closed and unofficial route, which served as a temporary passage during the battle to liberate Nineveh from ISIS before authorities shut it. He added that security forces continue to reinforce deployments along the Sinjar border strip to deter any renewed attempts at crossing or infiltration.
Protesters chanted slogans and raised banners in support of the SDF and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Most participants are known to be affiliated with or sympathetic to the party, the source noted, adding that a similar protest took place in the district a day earlier.
In the Rabia subdistrict northwest of Nineveh, eyewitnesses told Shafaq News they heard explosions and exchanges of gunfire near the Al-Yarubiyah crossing. The sounds originated from inside Syrian territory and caused no injuries or damage on the Iraqi side, nor did they spill into Iraq, amid close monitoring by border forces. Witnesses said the developments indicate the arrival of Syrian army units in areas adjacent to the Iraqi border.
Earlier today, the Syrian Defense Ministry announced a four-day ceasefire to stabilize the situation and support national initiatives following a “new understanding” between the two sides.
Talks last week between Syrian transitional President Ahmad Al-Sharaa and SDF commander Mazloum Abdi in Damascus to de-escalate tensions failed despite Al-Sharaa signing an agreement a day earlier stipulating that Syrian state institutions would assume administration of Al-Hasakah, Deir Ez-Zor, and Al-Raqqa provinces. Later, confrontations renewed between Syrian army forces and the SDF, to reach prisons holding ISIS members, triggering mutual accusations over opening or attempting to seize control of the facilities.
