Etrush is the oldest sub-district of Kurdistan, located in the Shekhan district of the Behdinan region. The majority of its inhabitants are Muslim Kurds, and Christians and Yazidis are also part of the population.

Etrush, like all other districts of Kurdistan, had its villages destroyed several times by the Ba'ath regime, because the people of the region always supported the revolution in terms of revolution and resistance ([1]), for this reason, the government launched a military campaign to reduce the dominance of the Kurdish revolution and return it to state control.

One of the epics that took place in the region was the major attack by the Iraqi army on 4 January 1987, which advanced into the district with a large force. First, they closed the roads to the two towns of Sarsing and Bamerne, and also brought a large force to Derelok and Shekhan. At the same time, the leadership of the revolution was informed by the committees of the Shekhan and Akre districts that there was military movement in Bakrman, Etrush, Koren Gavana, Bagera, and Siwaretuka ([2]), on 5 January 1987, the Iraqi army attacked the Peshmerga positions in the Shekhan region after 12.00 o'clock with the support of mercenaries (Jash). Another force of mercenaries that had come from the Soran region and participated in the battle, all forces gathered at Geli Qerki and Sheikh Hadi, set up artillery, and were divided into four fronts:

  1. The Etrush front towards Kela Kanika ([3]) up to the peak of Berkyate, the Peshmerga forces and a national defense force in the villages of Kanika, Berkyate, Shkefte, Kani Maze, and Bebade confronted them.

  2. The Nisra front up to Hesneka was responded to by the Peshmerga forces and national defense forces in the villages of Nisra and Hesneka.

  3. On the Barash Siyar and Spindara fronts, they engaged in battle with two organizations of the Peshmerga Forces and the National Defense Force of Siyar and Spindara and the surrounding villages ([4]), because in that phase of the revolution, all battalions and forces had been dissolved, and all Peshmerga forces had been organized within organizations and districts according to the party organization ([5]).

  4. On the Bakirman, Chem Ribetke, and Sedera front, the Peshmerga Forces under the command of Temer Kocher and the National Defense Forces confronted them. Fierce battles continued that night from all four positions until morning, but the government could not advance. In the morning, they began shelling and bombing the Barwari and Mizuri areas. Women and children left their villages due to the shelling and air attacks and headed to the caves, valleys, and ravines of Mount Gare in the cold winter; others who could carry weapons went to the battlefield ([6]).

As reported in a letter from the Shekhan districts of the Peshmerga forces to the leadership of the revolution, on 6 January 1987, the government carried out three attacks on Kela Kanika on the Etrush front, and all three attacks were defeated. Later, with the help of some mercenaries (Jash) and the Mexawir forces, they entered Kela Kanika and killed a Peshmerga of the Communist Party who participated in the battle; his body fell into the hands of the government forces. On the evening of the same day, government forces reached Hesneka, and a number of mercenary leaders and heads of hired gunmen participated in the battle. Helicopters carried out more than 20 air attacks on the battlefields. Although the government forces suffered heavy blows, there were 2 martyrs among the Peshmerga, one Peshmerga was missing, and one was wounded. On the same day, the government advanced from the Bakirman front towards Ware Merge.

Despite the cold of the area, fierce battles continued on the Shekhan front on 7 January. The attacks of the army and government forces continued from the Etrush front towards Kela Kanika, Bewze, and Hesneka towards the Shekhan region. Although the Peshmerga forces of the Shekhan district showed great resistance and were able to defeat the government's attacks ([7]), a force of the 1 branch led by Seyid Salih and a force of the Duhok region led by Sadu Korki and Mihemed Shefiq participated in the battle to support the Peshmerga Forces of the Gulan Committee ([8]).

On 8 January 1987, a fierce battle continued in the Shekhan region, and the Peshmerga of the Duhok Committee reached the border to support the Shekhan Committee, and Peshmerga from the Zakho region were also on the way. At that time, a force of mercenaries retreated from Ware Merge behind Bakirman and fled, leaving behind many supplies. On the Spindara front, the Peshmerga of the Shekhan and Duhok districts attacked the mercenaries and defeated them, killing a large number of them, and some of their bodies fell into the hands of the Peshmerga. 8 mercenaries were also taken prisoner by the Peshmerga, who were from Duhok, Shekhan, and Kani Mase. In this battle, 8 Kalashnikovs, one cross, and one RBK fell into the hands of the Peshmerga. Two Peshmerga were also martyred, one of whom was from the Shekhan district and the other from the Zakho district, and another one from the National Defense Forces who was from the village of Hesneka went missing ([9]).

On 9 January 1987, the government forces were completely defeated on the Spindara, Bakirman, and Hesneka fronts, and only Kela Kanika remained in their hands. Their losses were as follows:

On the Kanika front, they had forty dead, including two officers with the rank of Major and a radio operator; also, 5 soldiers were taken prisoner by the Peshmerga. On the Spindara front, 32 soldiers were killed and wounded, 4 of their bodies fell into the hands of the Peshmerga, and 8 soldiers were taken prisoner. In Hesneka, 30 soldiers were killed and wounded.

In order to ease the pressure of the government's attacks in the war zone, on the night of 11-12 January 1987, the Peshmerga of the Duhok district committee carried out a partisan operation, launched the Peshmerga Operation inside the city of Duhok, targeted several government locations, bases, and headquarters, and a helicopter was shot down in the war zone and crashed in Atrush. On 14 December, the fighting on the Shekhan front was very intense, and the government launched a major attack against the Peshmerga on the Kanika and Spindare fronts with the support of tanks, artillery, and aircraft, heavily bombing the area. They were able to reach Bebade, but the Peshmerga Forces were able to retake some places that were previously in their hands in Sedera, Barane, and Kani Maze. In these battles, the regime's forces suffered heavy blows, and among the Peshmerga Forces there was one Martyr and 11 wounded, and two Martyrs of the national defense ([10]).

On 15 January 1987, the Iraqi army and its mercenaries approached the center of the Shekhan district committee, but due to the strong defense of the Peshmerga, they were forced to retreat and were defeated. It is clear that from 13 to 15 January 1987, the fighting was very intense and continuous. The Peshmerga and the national defense forces fought them with a sound plan until they were able to defeat them. However, they looted and burned all the villages the mercenaries reached, such as Bebade, Karava, and Agoshe.

Despite several days of the Peshmerga being busy defending and confronting the intense attacks of the government forces, they still continued their Peshmerga activities. On 21 January 1987, the Peshmerga of the Martyr Emin Nisiri and Martyr Mahmud Ezidi organizations in Shekhan and the Shorsh organization of the Zakho district heavily shelled the headquarters of Arshad Zebari's mercenaries in Shermin and Bekirmane with 120mm artillery, causing them great damage ([11]).

At the end of the battle, the Iraqi army and its mercenaries suffered heavy blows. It was stated that nearly 300 mercenaries and soldiers were killed, 12 military vehicles were burned, and 30 Kalashnikov rifles and a large number of 120 mm shells fell into the hands of the Peshmerga. In the losses of the revolution, there were 30 Martyrs and wounded from the Peshmerga forces and national defense forces ([12]).

Source:

  1. Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume 4, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part 2, Edition 1, Ruksana Printing House, 2021.

  2. Hittpis://wwiw.facebook.com714717478634550/photos

  3. Shimal Zebari, Some hidden facts in Gulan Revolution in, edition 1, Rojhelat printing house, Erbil – 2015.

  4. Gazi Adil Gerdi, A Peshmerga in the service of Barzani... Haji Beroxi, Volume 2, Second Edition, Turkey-2021.

[1] -hittpis://wwiw.facebook.com/714717478634550/photos/%D

[2] - Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume 4, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part 2, Edition 1, Ruksana Printing House, 2021, p 65.

[3] -The fortress was built with a solid military plan, it was on a hill in front of the village of Kanika and overlooked Atrush and the Berwari Valley. Shimal Zebari: Some Hidden Facts in the Gulan Revolution, Edition 1, Rojhelat Printing House, Erbil – 2015, p 355.

[4] - Shimal Zebari, same source, p 356.

[5] - Gazi Adil Gerdi, A Peshmerga in the service of Barzani... Haji Beroxi, Volume 2, Second Edition, Turkey-2021, 369.

[6] - Shimal Zebari, same source, p 356.

[7] - Masoud Barzani, same source, p 66.

[8] - Shimal Zebari, same source, p 360.

[9] - Masoud Barzani, same source, p 67.

[10] - Masoud Barzani, same source, p 68.

[11] - Masoud Barzani, same source, p 69.

[12] - Shimal Zebari, same source, p 373.