The Iraqi government was constantly engaged in military operations to impose its authority on all cities, towns, and villages in Kurdistan, especially in areas where rumors of the presence of Peshmerga forces were circulating. The Ba'ath regime was the cause of the setback of one of the largest Kurdish revolutions for years through an international plot on March 6, 1975, and it thought that it could prevent the revolution from rising again. The Ba'ath government was forming forces, organizing operations, and launching military campaigns against the forces and organizations of the Peshmerga forces that were appearing in every corner of the different areas, with the aim of eliminating them.

One of the military operations carried out by the Iraqi Army to suppress the voice of the revolution with the support of mercenaries (Jash) was the attack on the Mangish area north of Duhok. It was a large-scale attack within the borders of the Duhok local committee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in August 1984 for the purpose of ending the Peshmerga forces and removing them from the area. However, the Peshmerga forces confronted the attack with great strength and prevented the advance of the large government forces. 

After a fierce battle, the Peshmerga forces inflicted heavy losses on the army and mercenaries, which led to the killing and wounding of a large number of fighters and the capture of a number of them. In the battle that took place between the villages of Gulnaski and Alandki, many mercenaries were killed, and among the dead was Abdullah Zebari, the brother of Latif Zebari. 

It seems that such military operations that the Iraqi government was carrying out against the areas where revolutionary activities were present were the result of the echo and continuation of the struggle and revolution in them. On the other hand, the government was unable to achieve the goal for which it had been fighting for decades throughout successive regimes until the Ba'ath reached power, and all these wars and invasions caused great human and material losses to the Ba'ath government.

Sources:

  1. Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, Roxana Printing House, 2021. 

  2. Wali Zubair Hostani, Several Epics, Events, and Stories in the Barzan Revolutions and Uprisings, First Edition, Rojhalat Printing House, Erbil - 2017.