NPU Regains its autonomy, Strengthening Security for Christians in the Nineveh Plain

Nineveh, Iraq - The Popular Mobilization Authority (PMA) has officially reinstated the Nineveh Plain Protection Units (NPU) as an independent force under the command of Colonel Jawad Habib, marking a major shift in local security for Iraq’s Christian (Chaldean, Syriac, Assyrian) communities.

The decision separates the NPU from the 50th Brigade (Kataib Babilyoun)—a controversial militia aligned with Shia and Iranian-backed factions—and merges the 74th Regiment into the NPU, boosting its strength and restoring local control.

Formed in 2015 during the ISIS invasion, the NPU was created by Assyrian volunteers under the Assyrian Democratic Movement to defend their ancestral towns in the Nineveh Plain. The force played a key role in both the liberation of the region and the protection of returning families.

This restoration returns the NPU to its original mission: safeguarding the Nineveh Plain’s indigenous Christian population and ensuring their right to live securely on their historic land.

The move comes amid speculation that the pressure – both overt and covert – the US is applying to the region and to forces affiliated with Iran is yielding the desired results.