Yazidis, displaced again, fear more strife in Iraqi homeland

By RASHID YAHYA and SAMYA KULLAB
Associated Press

ZAKHO, Iraq (AP) — Internally displaced minority Yazidis say they are reluctant to return to their ancestral homeland in northern Iraq. They cite hostilities between the Iraqi military and a local militia force. The Iraqi army said Tuesday it now controls the district of Sinjar after fierce clashes prompted over 3,000 people to flee to camps for displaced people. But Yazidis, many displaced now for a second time, are reluctant to return. The Iraqi army said the aim of the offensive has been to reassert state authority in response to the YBS militia erecting checkpoints and preventing citizens from returning to their homes.