In April 1974, the Ba'ath government decided to restart the war and intensified its attacks and assaults on the areas under the control of the revolution. The Erbil plain force, under the command of Faris Bawa, withdrew from Erbil to the Outside of the city and distributed its battalions across the battle fronts with the intention of establishing a defensive line, in order to stop the advances and attacks of the Iraqi Army.
The force Headquarters was set up on the mountain behind Pirar and Takawar. The first battalion, under the command of Sayid Kaka was established in the mountain range behind Bawaqut and Gomatal. The second battalion, under the command of Arif Osman, was assigned to Darbandi Gomaspan. The third battalion, under the command of Ahmad Haji Ali, took up positions on the Bawaji mountain. Two platoons affiliated with the force Headquarters were in the Bestana area. The Safin force and the Azadi force, which had just been established, had taken positions from Safin mountain to Bawaji mountain and Haybat Sultan and were in a state of readiness. The responsible persons and administrators of the organs of the Kurdistan Democratic Party were in defense on the battle front side-by-side with the Peshmerga force.
At the beginning of the month of May 1974, the Iraqi Army, with the support of tanks and armored vehicles, attacked the Peshmerga positions from two fronts. The first front began its advances from Sari Rash. The second front, those forces that were in the vicinity of Darbandi Gomaspan, they also began their movement and started their military operations. The Peshmerga force began to strengthen the defensive line and resisted the army. Both sides suffered losses, but because the number of the army force was large and at the same time they were in an offensive state, their losses were greater than the Peshmerga force.
The Iraqi Army initially could not prevail over the Peshmerga force and break the defensive line, but after four hours of continuous fighting, it faced defeat. However, the artillery of both the Sari Rash and Darbandi Gomaspan military camps did not hesitate in the bombardment and shelling and tightened the noose on the Peshmerga. The Peshmerga's defensive line was not strong enough to withstand all that shelling. The next day, the army attacked again and stormed the Peshmerga positions. In that attack, the Peshmerga force suffered heavy losses, which led to the martyrdom of 5 Peshmerga and the wounding of 11 others.
As a result of the situation that arose from the difficulty of the government's attack and the countless number of the army with the support of tanks, artillery, and aircraft, the Peshmerga could not withstand that broad attack of the government, but by order of the higher command, they retreated to the villages of Ziyarat and Suse. The Iraqi Army was able to take control of that area. Then its advances reached the Darband mountain until the village of Dere, and the main road of Erbil – Koya fell under its control.
Sources:1- Karwan Johar Muhammad, Idris Barzani 1944- 1987 Life and political and Military role in the Kurdish liberation movement, Hevi Printing House, Erbil - 2019.
2- Sangar Ibrahim Khoshnaw, Military events of the Aylul Revolution 1970-1975, first edition, Erbil, 2022.
3- Sayid Kaka, Memoirs of a Peshmerga, Ministry of Culture Printing House, first edition, Erbil- 1997.
4- Khurshid Shera, Struggle and Blood, Memoirs of the Peshmerga years, Haji Hashim Printing House, third edition, Erbil – 2015.