A Peshmerga force began moving toward the villages of Kani Rash, Kolekan, and the Bazargir Plain to carry out a partisan patrol in the Gali Gosti of the Bradost region. At the same time, a military battalion of the Iraqi Army was stationed in Kani Rash to monitor the area. After the Peshmerga force passed through Kani Rash and reached the river of the Bazargir Plain, they were busy crossing the water. Some of them had reached the other side, and the rest were still in the water. Suddenly, a military force of the Iraqi Army appeared and confronted them. At that moment, the battle started between them.
Regarding that battle, one of the Peshmerga who participated in the battle named Abdulrahman Haji spoke to us as follows,
He said: In the spring of 1979, we, as a Peshmerga force under the command of Dr. Abdulrahman Zarazi, set off on a partisan patrol from Gali Gosti to the village of Kani Rash, the Bazargir Plain, and Kolekan, with the intention of inspecting and strengthening the party organization lines. But when we reached the river of the Bazargir Plain, we were busy crossing the river when an Iraqi Army force came toward us and confronted us. We, while several Peshmerga were still in the river water and had not crossed, a battle broke out between us. When the soldiers fired at us, we also fought them very fiercely and repelled them.
The battle continued hotly for 45 minutes. The Iraqi Army force had a number of soldiers hit, killed, and wounded. Because of that, chaos fell among them, so they could not continue the battle and were defeated. All that remained for them was to manage to save themselves and the wounded soldiers, and they left the place. After the soldiers completely withdrew, we, all the Peshmerga, met each other again and we were all safe. We did not suffer any losses, and we continued our march and set off toward Kolekan.
Sources:1- Safar Yusuf Mirhaj Zhazhoki, Martyr Dr. Abdulrahman Zarazi (A collection of life and Peshmerga service), (Danishfar Printing House - Erbil - 2022).
2- Interview with Abdulrahman Haji, from Balakayati, Peshmerga of the Gulan Revolution, participant in the battle, Soran. February 2, 2026.