In the late seventies of the last century, the liberation movement of the Kurd people in South Kurdistan had begun a new phase of armed struggle and secret organization. The year 1979 is considered a turning point in the history of Gulan Revolution The activities of the revolution had expanded to such an extent that they covered most areas of South Kurdistan. The revolution's plan in those sudden attacks and raids on the military and intelligence agencies of the Ba'ath regime had a strategic goal behind it. Of course, the most prominent goal was to alert the Iraq regime to the resurgence of the revolution, to show the strength and capability of the Peshmerga, and to terrorize the government forces by showing that the Peshmerga force could reach them anytime and anywhere to strike a bone-breaking blow to those forces.
The Peshmerga force of Kurdistan, in the form of special groups and teams, crossed the border from East Kurdistan to South Kurdistan one after another and crept into the depths of the areas under government control. They drew up a solid plan for guerrilla activities and suddenly attacked the government forces. A force consisting of nine Peshmerga, led by Commander Dr. Abdulrahman Zarari, reached the Dolemari area in the winter of 1979. They stayed in the villages of Derane, Kawne-Gund, and Kunemar to set a plan and carry out a guerrilla activity in the Diana sub-district. After staying in the village of Derane for three days, they tasked a woman to visit the town of Diana to know the military and security situation of the area. After the woman visited the mentioned town, she carried out the mission, returned, and explained the situation of the area to the Peshmerga. The Peshmerga force immediately prepared themselves and reached the Delzyan checkpoint, which is a few kilometers away from Diana, through the village of Kunemar, then with the guidance of a person from the secret organizations named (Haji Fatah Beg) Delzy.
When the Peshmerga force first reached the town, they headed to a place called the Christian Cemetery, as it was a suitable place for hiding. Then, very carefully, they crept into one of the town's neighborhoods called Kona Diana. They stayed in that area for half an hour and discussed how to carry out the activity plan. The location for carrying out the activity was attacking the house of a traitor hired by the government, but on the way, a military checkpoint of the government forces had been set up in Kandi Diana. When the Peshmerga force began moving towards the location of the activity and split into two flanks, one flank took the top of the road and the other flank took the bottom of the road. As soon as they approached, the government force opened fire and the Peshmerga returned fire. The battle was intense and lasted for a while, then two tanks came towards the battle and they also started fighting, but the Peshmerga knew that staying in the location for a long time would not have good results because the government would face them with more force, so they decided to leave the location. According to information that reached the Peshmerga in the following days, the government force had killed and wounded, among whom were high-ranking Officers, but their number could not be known. One of the Peshmerga was a Martyr and his body fell into the hands of the government.
This activity, although it ended with the martyrdom of a Peshmerga, instilled great fear and anxiety in the hearts of the Ba'ath agencies in the Soran and Diana area, and once again proved that Diana and other areas of Kurdistan would never be a safe place for the occupier.
Sources:1- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 19975- 1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, (Ruxana Printing House- 2021).
2- Safar Yusuf Mirhaj Zhazhoki, Martyr Dr. Abdulrahman Zarari (A collection of life and Peshmerga life), (Danishfar Printing House- Erbil- 2022).