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Nineveh Plain Forces

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Not to be confused with Nineveh Plain Protection Units.
Nineveh Plain Forces
ܚܝ̈ܠܘܬܐ ܕܕܫܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܐ
LeadersSafaa Khamro[1]
Dates of operationJanuary 2015 – 2017
MotivesRegional defence
Armed resistance
Active regionsNineveh Plain, Northern Iraq
IdeologyAssyrian nationalism
Dawronoye
Size200 light infantry
Part ofBeth Nahrain Patriotic Union
BNDP
AlliesSyriac Military Council
Peshmerga
HSNB
NPU
OpponentsISIL
Battles and warsBattle of Mosul (2016–17)

The Nineveh Plain Forces (Syriac: ܚܝ̈ܠܘܬܐ ܕܕܫܬܐ ܕܢܝܢܘܐ, romanized: Ḥaylawotho d'Deshto d'Ninwe) or NPF was a military organization that was formed on 6 January 2015 by the indigenous Christian Assyrian people in Iraq, in cooperation with Peshmerga,[2] to defend against Islamic State.[3] The Nineveh Plains is a region at the heart of the Assyrian homeland. The militia is affiliated with the Bet-Nahrain Democratic Party and the Beth Nahrain Patriotic Union (HBA), the latter being part of the secular Dawronoye movement.[3][4] It participated in the Battle of Mosul (2016–2017).[5][better source needed]

History

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The Nineveh Plain Forces (NPF) was founded in January 2015 by the Bet Nahrain Democratic Party (BNDP), a small KDP-backed Assyrian political party. The Nineveh Plain Forces were registered within the Ministry of Peshmerga. At one time, the group claimed it had upwards of 600 soldiers.[6] Yet some observers alleged that no more than 50 soldiers were active at any one time. When the Nineveh Plains was liberated, the NPF secured a small, mostly symbolic presence in Batnaya until the October 2017 withdrawal of KRG forces following the Kurdish referendum.[7]

The NPF's stated goals were similar to those of the Nineveh Plain Protection Units; the key difference being that the NPF and the BNDP advocated for a Nineveh Plain Governorate administered by the KRG. BNDP leader Romeo Hakkari was a vocal proponent for Kurdish independence.[8] But following the failed referendum the NPF was stripped of its security responsibilities. The last official update on its social media accounts is dated September 2, 2017. The force was disbanded soon after.[9]

Battle of Mosul (2016–17)

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Main article: Battle of Mosul (2016–17)

On 17 October 2016, the NPF announced their intentions to participate in the planned offensive in the Nineveh Plains alongside the Iraqi Army, Peshmerga and Iraqi Federal Police.[10]

The Chaldean Syriac Assyrian political organizations held a meeting on 29 October 2016 to continue discussions from their previous meeting which was held on 21 October 2016. The meeting was hosted by Bishop Mar Yokhana Putrus Moshe with the presence of representative of Patriarch Mar Georgis Third Saliwa at the headquarters of the Syriac Catholic Diocese. During the meeting, they discussed ways to unite the efforts of the military and security coordination in the Nineveh Plain areas in order to enable the people of the region to management the security file. It was agreed that the military forces formations of our people are the fundamental forces to protect towns and villages in the Nineveh Plain. Seeking unity for the joint military efforts and coordination of security leaders by holding joint meetings between the stakeholders for this purpose.[11]

NPF liberated the Assyrian village of Batnaya on Tuesday 25 October alongside Dwekh Nawsha and Peshmerga forces. The NPF placed the cross on the Chaldean Catholic Mar Oraha Monastery in Batnaya after ISIS removed all Christian religious symbols from the village.[12][better source needed]

A 2020 report by the Assyrian Policy Institute states that the NPF was disbanded in 2017 following the unsuccessful Kurdistan Region independence referendum.[13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Assyrian Forces Secure Abandoned Front Line Town Against ISIS In North Iraq". Assyrian International News Agency. 28 January 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  2. ^ "Inside the Christian Militias Defending the Nineveh Plains". Warisboring. 7 March 2015. Archived from the original on 7 September 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b "The establishment of Nineveh Plain Forces – NPF". Syriac International News Agency. 7 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "NPF: Chaldean-Syriac-Assyrian people of Iraq liberate their Christian homeland from ISIS". Syriac International News Agency. 30 May 2016. Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ^ "NPF declaring their participation to Mosul offensive". Syriac International News Agency. 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 18 October 2016.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  6. ^ "Christian Iraqi Forces Join Fight Against IS". VOA. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  7. ^ "Contested Control: The Future of Security in Iraq's Nineveh Plain". Assyrian Policy. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  8. ^ Ali, Sangar (6 January 2016). "Christians lobby for Kurdish Independence".
  9. ^ "Contested Control: The Future of Security in Iraq's Nineveh Plain". Assyrian Policy. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  10. ^ "NPF declaring their participation to Mosul offensive - Syriac International News Agency". 18 October 2016. Archived from the original on 18 October 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  11. ^ "Assyrians in Iraq to Unify Their Militias". Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  12. ^ Administrator. "مسؤول قوات سهل نينوى: تحرير باطنايا ودير مار أوراها بالكامل ورفع الصليب على الدير". Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  13. ^ Hanna, Reine (1 June 2020). "Contested Control: The Future of Security in Iraq's Nineveh Plain" (PDF). Assyrian Policy Institute. p. 38. Retrieved 2 August 2020. The NPF's stated goals were similar to those of the Nineveh Plains Protection Units; the key difference being that the NPF and the BNDP advocated for a Nineveh Plain Governorate administered by the KRG. BNDP leader Romeo Hakkari has been a vocal proponent for Kurdish independence. But following the failed referendum the NPF was stripped of its security responsibilities. The last official update on its social media accounts is dated September 2, 2017. The force was disbanded soon after.
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