Salim Darbas Hamad, Known as Sa'do Kurki, was born in 1937 in the village of Kurka in the Guli area, part of the Zakho district of the Duhok Governorate. In 1975, after the collapse of the Aylul Revolution he left his wife and children and crossed the border between Southern and Northern Kurdistan and went to the village of Anbe in Urmia, and from there he went to Razhan and Zive, and from there he was moved to Bandar Abbas and Bandar Lengeh. His children and family were displaced by military intelligence to the city of Nasiriyah in southern Iraq. In 1991, after the uprising of Southern Kurdistan, he returned to Kurdistan and settled in the city of Zakho. In 1997, he developed cancer and was sent to Turkey, Syria, Austria, and Germany for treatment. He passed away in Zakho on May 25, 2012.
In 1958, in the Batifa border area, he joined the ranks of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and was made a cell leader. In 1961, he joined the ranks of the Peshmerga forces of the Aylul Revolution and became a Peshmerga in the Duhok force. In 1962, he was made the administrative officer of the same force. Between (1961-1963), he participated in several weapons training courses. In 1970, he was made a Head of Branch and border guard in Duhok. In 1974, after the start of the war by the Iraq regime against the Peshmerga forces of the Aylul Revolution he returned to the Duhok force and participated in the battles of the Duhok region.
In 1976, he went to the city of Karaj. In 1977, he returned to Southern Kurdistan and from there went to Northern Kurdistan and the districts of Çelê, Uludere, and Hedrish. That area was the center of the Party's mobile Peshmerga, and he continued his struggle with the mobile strike detachments.
In 1979, he participated in the 9th Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party as a Congress member. In that Congress, President Masoud Barzani awarded him a Kalashnikov. After the end of the Congress, he returned to Komata, where the Headquarters of the First Branch was located. In 1980, he was made the head of the guards of the Zakho district committee. In 1981, he was assigned the duty of deputy head of the Zakho organization. In 1983, he was made the head of the Shingal organization in Zakho. In 1987, he was a member of the committee and responsible for the military section of the Zakho district committee.
In 1988, after the infamous Anfal campaign and the chemical bombardment of the Badinan region by the Ba'ath regime, Sa'do Kurki headed to Northern Kurdistan and from there was moved to a refugee camp in Amed, where he took on the duty of the refugee committee.
In 1991, after returning to the city of Zakho, he took over the responsibility of the Darkari district committee in Zakho. In 1992, he received the rank of deputy of the Third Division of Duhok. In 1994, he received the rank of Commander of the Sixth Battalion of the First Army of Zakho. In 1995, he was assigned the duty of Commander of the 17th Force of the First Army of Zakho.
Sa'do Kurki in his Peshmerga life, participated in several battles, including: in 1962, the battle of the Jasan Headquarters in the village of Badrak in the Jambur area belonging to Mosul, the battle of Bani Derik in the Doski area, the battle of Duhok, the battle of Gali Zawita; in 1963, the battle of Mount Matin, the battle of Mount Berz and Betas; in 1982, the battle of the Zambil Frosh area in the Batufa area; in 1984, the battle of the Zakho area; in 1987, the battle of Kani Masi; in 1994, the battle of Shaqlawa; in 1995, he was wounded in the battle of the village of Babire.
On August 16, 1996, at the Golden Jubilee of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, by President Masoud Barzani he was awarded the Barzani Medal.
Source:1- Archive of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Board.