In 1988, the Iraqi government began a comprehensive plan to attack the Kurdish areas under the control of the Peshmerga. It is clear that due to the Iran-Iraq war of the years 1980-1988, the government forces were not sufficient to take over all parts of Kurdistan, and therefore an opportunity arose for the Peshmerga forces to control several areas. In the eighth year, the war between the two states began to decrease as they were nearing the end and a treaty, and for this reason, an opportunity arose for Iraq to take blind steps against the Kurdistan Revolution in order to suppress and defeat the Kurdish people's revolution.

It is clear that the implementation of the government's plan would be the destruction and ruin of those areas. On February 26, 1988, at 7:00 AM, the Iraqi army began its advance from the Betwate and Khalifan fronts and launched a wide-scale attack on the Balisan Valley in western Sulaymaniyah, which is affiliated with Erbil province. With the help and support of warplanes, artillery, tanks, and mercenaries (Jash), the Peshmerga Forces confronted them with a comprehensive plan. As a result, due to the strong resistance of the Peshmerga, by the evening of the same day, the news of the defeat of the Iraqi army and forces reached the Peshmerga forces, who thwarted their attack, but in defeating the attack of the army and mercenaries, three Peshmerga were martyred.

Source:

  1. Haji Mirxan Dolameri: Searching for Justice, Volume 2, Second Edition, Kurdistan – 2021.

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