In the summer of Year 1961, the Iraqi government imposed war on Kurdistan with a disastrous plan, turned its back on peaceful negotiations, and resumed its campaign to destroy the towns and villages of Kurdistan, especially in the areas under the control of the revolution. This came after the Baathists seized power in Iraq in a military coup.

After occupying Koya and committing a massacre against civilians in the city, in which dozens of innocent people were killed by orders of (Taha Shukrji), the Commander of the military forces of the Iraqi Army in Koya, the Peshmerga forces were forced to withdraw to Mount Heybat Sultan to establish a defense line on the mountain. According to the orders that reached them, another Peshmerga force set out from the Beror base to reinforce the defense line, one under the command of Faris Bawa and the other under the supervision of Waso Dziyi.

The Iraqi government prepared to launch a major attack on Mount Heybat Sultan on the eastern outskirts of Koya, led by Colonel Saeed Hammo, Commander of the Fifth Brigade of the Second Division. The Peshmerga forces, led by Omar Mustafa (Omar Dababa), were supported by another Peshmerga force led by Abdullah Bashdari, who were tasked with defending and protecting the area.

On June 25, 1963, the Iraqi Army, supported by a force of agents (Jash) and several armored units and an artillery battalion, attacked the Peshmerga positions. Airstrikes also paved the way for them to attack. A fierce battle continued between the attacking forces and the defensive Peshmerga forces until the evening, resulting in a major defeat for the army and the agents, as they suffered heavy losses and left several corpses on the battlefield, while one person from the Peshmerga forces was martyred and three others were wounded.

After the victory, the commander of this battle front (Omar Mustafa Dababa) sent a message to Barzani, the leader of the revolution, and the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, explaining the situation, the results of the fighting, and the need for bullets.

     After a while, the Iraqi Army reorganized its forces and began preparing for another attack. Two other infantry battalions came to help, and it believed it could attack the Peshmerga positions again. But this time they launched violent and intense attacks on the Peshmerga positions, so that it was very difficult to resist.

The lack of Ammunition, weapons, and war equipment was another problem for the Peshmerga forces, so they preferred to leave this defense line and retreat towards Betwata and Ranya. Therefore, the Iraqi Army was able to win Mount Heybat Sultan and seize it. With the seizure of the mountain, the government stopped attacking the area, and then part of the forces that participated in the fighting joined the forces that attacked the Mergasor area.

After the end of the attack and the Iraqi Army achieving its goal, the battles and attacks of the Iraqi Army calmed down for a period of time and the area witnessed peace of a kind, which was a good opportunity for the Peshmerga forces to reorganize their forces. The revolutionary struggle continued in a fedayeen style. Then it was decided to establish bases and Headquarters for the Peshmerga forces in several villages in the area. Several villages were allocated for this purpose.

Sources:

  • Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part One, Aylul Revolution 1961-1975, First Edition 2004.

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

  • Khoshawi Ali Kanyelnji, Memories of Aziz Qazi Surchi, Daneshfar Press, Erbil, 2023.

  • Khurshid Shera, Struggle and Blood, Memories of the Years of Peshmerga Struggle, Third Edition, Erbil, 2015.

  • Sayid Kaka, Memories of a Peshmerga, Ministry of Culture Press, First Edition, 1997.

  • Ghazi Adil Gardi, A Peshmerga in the Service of the Barzani Path: Haji Birokhi, Volume One, Second Edition, Turkey, 2021.