To control the mountain, the leader of the revolution, Barzani, consulted with the Peshmerga commanders (Raees Bakr, Major Aziz Akri, Haji Brokhi, Mahmoud Kawani, Shakir Bek Oghzbek Zarni, Rahman Sheikh Wasani, and Mirka Agha Khailani) to develop a plan to attack the barracks that were located on the mountain. This mountain was an important point on the map of Kurdistan because it overlooked the Erbil plain and was a strategic location connecting the areas of Erbil, Khoshnawti, Soran, and Balakayati. It was also a gateway for communication to Pshdar, Bitwen, and Sulaymaniyah, so the government always tried to control the area, because controlling Mount Sefin, in its belief, would pose a major threat to the Balakayati region, which was the command center of the revolution.
There were several points that the Peshmerga Forces saw as important to carry out the attack and execute the plan to seize Mount Sefin by attacking it first. Such as the Kani Shilana barracks to Kani Kuiz, with the start of the raid on the barracks at five in the morning on August 23, 1962, the Peshmerga Forces were able to seize the villages of Kani Shilana, Kani Kuiz, Bana Nuk, and Khoran in a short time. They also inflicted heavy losses on the Iraqi Army, as 52 soldiers were killed, most of whose bodies were left on the battlefield and fell into the hands of the Peshmerga. In the following days, they tried to recover the bodies of their dead through local religious figures and clerics. In this battle of Mount Sefin, which was the first for the Peshmerga Forces at the beginning of the Aylul Revolution Three Peshmerga were martyred and three others were wounded.
After seizing Mount Sefin, the Peshmerga units began to move around the mountain and search to direct more strikes at the Iraqi government and carry out other Peshmerga activities and seize the bases of the army, police, and collaborators (Jash). After obtaining the approval of the revolution leadership, the Peshmerga Forces decided to seize the Koma Span police station and besieged the fortress. The commanders wanted to end the fighting without bloodshed and without casualties. The policemen who took refuge inside had to surrender to the Peshmerga Forces. They asked the village head to visit the police station and talk to them about it.
However, the Situation continued for several days, and the siege lasted three days as they were waiting for surrender. The police, led by Corporal Faizi, seemed determined to defend themselves and not surrender, but they were in contact with their superiors to help them. Therefore, the Iraqi Army tried twice to attack the area to break the siege of the fortress and save the police, but their efforts failed because the Peshmerga Forces repelled their attack and defeated them every time. Because the Peshmerga had promised to seize this police station at any cost.
The Iraqi Army tried for the third time and adopted a cunning plan to control the Peshmerga Forces from behind and from there reach the police station and break the siege, but the Peshmerga Forces were able to thwart the Iraqi Army's tactics, fire at them from behind, cancel their plan, and expel them from the area.
The Situation of the police was getting worse. When they despaired that the Iraqi Army would come to help them, they tried to escape and take advantage of the darkness of the night. But the Peshmerga Forces realized this and approached the fortress and tightened the siege, and as darkness fell, the police opened the door of the fortress and lined up and wanted to leave the fortress and flee. At this moment, the Peshmerga opened fire on them, and after one of the policemen was wounded, the others all raised their hands and surrendered. Then the Peshmerga took control of the fortress and entered the police station and seized all the weapons, the arsenal, and all the equipment that was in the station.
Participating in the battle to seize the Koma Span police station fortress were the Military commanders (Rashid Bishoni and Fikri Birokhi) as well as the leaders (Ahmed Mustafa Kanilnji and Mullah Amin Hostani). The entire Khoshnawti region came under the control of the revolution and the organizations and activities that were carried out in Badinan, Bradost, and Balakayati were implemented in terms of organization, party policy, and the establishment of Peshmerga bases and Headquarters in the same way. Barzani entrusted the responsibility of Khoshnawti to Bakr Abdul Karim and appointed Mahmoud Kawani as his assistant, and thus Khoshnawti became a fortified stronghold of the revolution thanks to the position of the people of the region towards the revolution, its generosity, loyalty, and Support. But soon the brave Peshmerga Commander Mahmoud Kawani was bombed and seriously wounded, and after being transferred to Shorsh Hospital in Batwata, he died on Saturday, the first of September 1962, succumbing to his serious wounds. He bid farewell to the revolution and the homeland.
Sources:1- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part One, Aylul Revolution 1961-1975, First Edition 2004.
2- Khurshid Shera, Struggle and Blood, Memoirs of the Years of Peshmerga Struggle, Third Edition, Erbil, 2015.
3- Ghazi Adil Gardi, A Peshmerga in the Service of the Barzani Path, Haji Birokhi, Volume One, Second Edition, Turkey, 2021.
4- Ari Karim, Several Living Pages in the Aylul Revolution, Khabat Press, Duhok 1999.
5- Shawkat Mullah Ismail Hassan, Days in the History of the Aylul Revolution, First Edition, Erbil, 2007.