When the Iraqi government declared war against Aylul Revolution in the year 1974, it launched a comprehensive attack on Kurdistan. Although the Iraqi Army had placed the weight of its attacks on the Balakayati region due to the presence of the revolution's leadership headquarters in the area, it did not neglect any area under the revolution's authority; rather, the Iraqi Army's military campaign covered all areas of the revolution. The Peshmerga Forces in Duhok were constantly shelling the Iraqi Army's military convoys on the Aloka road. In the west of the city of Duhok, specifically a group of Peshmerga whose mission was at the Smte cave in the area and had a 120mm mortar with them, their mission was to shell the Iraqi Army's vehicle convoys if their military movements in the area were heavy.

At the beginning of October 1974, one day about 10 military vehicles and armored vehicles were escorting a member of the Ba'ath Party leadership named Abdul-Fattah Yasin, who was heading to the military base of the 18 Force belonging to the 1 Division of the Army. The Peshmerga targeted them with the mortar they had and shelled them. In the meantime, a mortar shell hit an armored vehicle and all the soldiers on board were killed. After the aforementioned returned to Mosul, the next day he gathered every military unit and mercenary gunmen (Jash) that were in that border area and attacked the Peshmerga Forces with the intention of taking control of Black Mountain, Tahsa cave, and Smte cave.  

The Iraqi Army units in that attack on the areas under the revolution's authority consisted of the 18 Force and the 5 Force of the 2 Division, artillery, and mercenaries from the Kochar, Doski, Surchi, Zebari, and Herki tribes. As a result, a fierce battle ensued that lasted for eleven days. To support the battle fronts, each of the Ali Ali battalions and the Mirani battalion arrived in the battle area as support forces. Initially, the Iraqi Army attacked Black Mountain, the defense of which was the responsibility of the 1 battalion belonging to the Duhok Force under the command of Numan Samad. At the beginning of the attack, the Iraqi Army began with intense shelling of the Peshmerga positions and the mountain, then the infantry and mercenaries assaulted Black Mountain. Due to the intense shelling and the presence of five Martyrs and about 40 wounded, the army took control of Black Mountain on the first day of the attack. 

Then the Duhok Force at Kavri Bske, Tahsa cave, and Samte cave opposite Black Mountain deployed four DShKs, one 120mm mortar, and one 82mm mortar to shell the army on Black Mountain, so that the Iraqi Army would not have the opportunity to establish fortified positions and fortify their military points. The Force Commander Abdul-Razaq Garmavi was personally observing the shelling. After one week, they planned to carry out a counter-attack. For the attack, they formed a force consisting of 40 elite Peshmerga under the command of Qadir Alekeni, most of whom were from the engineering department of the Duhok Force. With a well-organized military plan, they set off at night and hid themselves in the foothills of Black Mountain in a place full of trees and dense forest. They had taken all their military equipment, food, and supplies with them. 

The Peshmerga's attack plan was that the next day at sunset the shelling would stop, then the Peshmerga would suddenly storm the military outposts. As planned, the campaign proceeded exactly like that. Also, in the west of Black Mountain, the 1 battalion was ordered that if those 40 Peshmerga started moving from their positions, they would also start the attack on the mountain from the flank that was on alert. When the attack started from both places, the battle and clashes continued for one hour. The Peshmerga were able to take control of the entire mountain within that hour. They inflicted heavy losses on the Iraqi Army soldiers and mercenary gunmen; 21 were killed and many were wounded, and the others fled. 6 soldiers were also taken prisoner and later sent to the leadership in Balakayati.

 The Peshmerga's gains in this battle consisted of 14 Kalashnikov rifles, one (RPG), a large number of various types of ammunition, and about ten thousand various types of mines that they could not plant, but instead fell into the hands of the Peshmerga. Also, a large number of 60mm, 82mm, and 120mm mortar shells, as well as military clothing and equipment, were seized. The losses of the Peshmerga Forces in this battle to retake Black Mountain consisted of the martyrdom of 6 Peshmerga and 20 wounded. It is worth noting that after that attack, the Iraqi Army did not launch any other attack on the Peshmerga Forces in Duhok Governorate until the collapse of the revolution in the year 1975.           

      

            

Sources:

  1. Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part Two, Aylul Revolution 1961-1975, First Edition – Erbil, 2004.

  2. Sangar Ibrahim Khoshnaw, Military Events of the Aylul Revolution 1970-1975, First Edition, Daneshfar Printing House, Erbil, 2022.

  3. Hozhin Masoud Sarni, The Aylul Revolution in the Behdinan Region 1061-1975, First Edition, 2018.

  4. Ibrahim Jalal, Southern Kurdistan and the Aylul Revolution: Foundation and Collapse 1961-1975, Fourth Edition, 2021