The Ba'ath regime tried by all means to remain in power and remove the obstacles and dangers it faced, and it used every effective and useful plan. It was clear that the areas under the control of the revolution were sites for Peshmerga bases and Headquarters, and they always constituted a major threat to the interests of the Ba'athist regime. Therefore, it resorted to using all means available to it, and they were suddenly subjected to threats and pressure by its military forces, and ground and air attacks were launched against them with the aim of clearing them and destroying the villages of Kurdistan.
In August 1984, the regime's army launched a wide-scale attack on the areas under the control of the revolution in Zakho in the Badinan region, targeting the Headquarters of both the Duhok and Zakho local committees, in order to stop the activities of the Peshmerga and silence the voice of the revolution in the region. Thousands of soldiers and mercenaries participated in the attack, led by Arshad Zebari and Jafar Mustafa, supported by tanks, artillery, armored vehicles, rocket launchers, and helicopters.
The attack began on the morning of 24/8/1984 from three axes:
First: The Babukhki and Gulnazki axis
Second: The Ziyoka Abwi, Navshki, and Osmana axis
Third: The Lifi axis on the Headquarters of the Zakho local committee in the Harina strait.
Peshmerga forces were distributed on the axes according to the government forces' attacks. Because the Peshmerga forces of the Martyr Shahyaz Salih organization and the Haval Sadiq Gulnazki organization were entrenched in the Babukhki and Gulnazki axis, the task of the Ziyoka Abwi, Navshki, and Osmana axis was assigned to the Peshmerga forces of the Ranjbaran, Khalid Kocher, and Martyr Muhammad Hamdi organizations and a group of popular resistance forces. During that period, the Peshmerga forces were organized within the party structure in the form of branches and locals, and Fatah Guli was the responsible person for the Duhok local committee, overseeing the Peshmerga forces in that confrontation. Another joint force was formed from the Peshmerga of Kurdistan Democratic Party and a group from the Communist Party led by Muhammad Murad as an emergency force to support the Peshmerga forces assigned to the front from which the government forces advanced, and this force was stationed above the village of Ziyoka Abwi between the two fronts.
In the early morning hours, the Ba'ath government forces launched an attack on the Peshmerga positions from all axes. The Peshmerga forces in the specified area confronted them, and fierce battles took place between them. They were initially able to repel the attack and deal a strong blow to them, but three Peshmerga were martyred on the Navshki front, and the government forces advanced towards the village of Ozmana. The Peshmerga forces reinforced their defensive positions, and the emergency force arrived to support them at the village of Ozmana and tightened the siege on the attacking forces. The people of the village cooperated with the Peshmerga forces in every way, and they responded to the government's attack with heavy and light weapons, defeated them wherever they advanced, and pushed them back behind the village of Zwika.
This time, the government's attack was not only ground-based, but it did not hesitate to use the air as well, through bombing by aircraft. During the fighting, eight aircraft flew continuously over the area to support the government ground forces and set fire to the Peshmerga positions, which led to the martyrdom of a number of Peshmerga. To settle the results of the battles, the Iraqi Army continuously attacked the Peshmerga Headquarters and bases from the air, and it resorted to bombing the positions in every battle with the Peshmerga.
The Ba'athist regime's attack lasted eight days, as the military and armed forces were constantly facing the Peshmerga forces with the support of tanks, artillery, and aircraft. The Peshmerga forces were confronting all these massive armed attacks by the enemy forces with all their weapons and with the support of the national defense forces. Although the Iraqi forces exhausted the Peshmerga forces during the eight days, the Peshmerga forces did not hesitate in their defense. On the eighth day, the Peshmerga forces launched a counter-attack on all axes against the government forces, as they suddenly attacked the vanguard of the government forces, quickly scattered their ranks, and imposed a great victory upon them. The government forces were defeated and retreated, and the battle ended with the victory of the Peshmerga forces and the defeat of the Iraqi Army and the mercenary gunmen.
The government forces suffered heavy losses in dead and wounded during this attack, including the killing of Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah, the brother of Latif Zebari, the advisor to the mercenaries, who met his end near the village of Gulnazki. Dozens of bodies were left on the battlefield, and many of them were captured. A large quantity of weapons and ammunition fell into the hands of the Peshmerga forces and became achievements of the revolution. The victory in this battle was achieved with the blood of eight Martyrs of the path of Kurdistan, five of whom were martyred in air raids.
These government attacks on the areas under the control of the revolution continued throughout the history of the Kurdish liberation struggle, but they failed and were unable to control these areas due to the strong defense provided by the Peshmerga forces. This was to constitute a great achievement for the revolution and raise the morale of the Peshmerga, and at the same time, it was to have a great echo in the region, which would have constituted a major moral failure for the government.
Sources:1- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975- 1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, (Ruxana Printing House- 2021).
2- Ghazi Adil Gardi, A Peshmerga in the Service of the Barzani Path, Haji Birokhi, Volume Two, Second Edition, (Turkey- 2021).
3- Muhammad Murad, Struggle of the Mountains, Memories and Events of the Gulan Revolution between the years (176-1989), (Kurdistan Printing House - Zakho- 2007).