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 might have taken place , now probably 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
Yazidis genocide by ISIL
Genocide of Yazidis by ISIL
Turkish strikes on Sinjar (2018)