Rashava Valley is located in the Amedi and Derluk region in the Badinan area. Due to its geographical location and the sympathy of the region's residents with the Peshmerga forces, it was easier to carry out fedayeen activities. Therefore, in terms of revolution and resistance, they played an influential role in supporting the revolution like all other regions of Kurdistan. Often, the Iraqi government would launch large-scale campaigns against Kurdistan in specific areas to regain the areas that had fallen into the hands of the Peshmerga, as well as to suppress the voice of the revolution in general. The armed forces were completely opposed to the revolution's forces because the Peshmerga movement and their activity had increased in most areas. The Iraqi Army and other armed forces launched an attack in early January 1987 that lasted 20 days on Atrush and Qala Kanika in Badinan, under the pretext that these areas were under the control of the Peshmerga forces.
The Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan were confronting the government forces with the military power they possessed in terms of numbers, weapons, and ammunition, and were inflicting strong blows upon them. As indicated, the government launched a large military operation in the Atrush region at the beginning of January 1987, while the Peshmerga forces in other regions, in order to relieve the pressure of the army and government armed forces on the battlefield, prevented military convoys from advancing and carried out various activities.
At about four o'clock in the afternoon of January 11, 1987, the sound of heavy gunfire was heard in Rashava Valley. The Peshmerga forces had closed the main roads from Amedi to Derluk and attacked the military convoys that were passing through the road leading to the battlefield. In addition, the Peshmerga forces raided the headquarters of the Derluk Battalion, the Ba'ath Party headquarters, and the town's security base. It is clear that this campaign by the Peshmerga forces against the Iraqi forces caused heavy damage, including the burning of the battalion, Ba'ath Party, and security base headquarters, as well as the destruction of an 82mm cannon, two military tanks, one armored vehicle, and one military car.
It is worth noting that the activities of the Peshmerga in most parts of Kurdistan spread and expanded in a way that made the government uncomfortable and always thinking about carrying out military operations to remove the danger that threatened its institutions.
Sources:
1- https://www.facebook.com.
2- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, (Ruxana Printing House - 2021).
3- Shimal Zebari, Some Hidden Truths in the Gulan Revolution, First Edition, (Rojhelat Printing House - Erbil - 2015).