In the period from July 19 to September 5, 1988, large and wide-scale clashes took place between the Peshmerga forces and the Iraqi army (the Ba'athist regime) in the Khwakurk area, which belongs to the Bradost region, where the Iraqi Army launched a wide attack in the border triangle (Iraq, Iran, and Turkey) to control the areas under the control of the revolution. During 45 days of fighting and attacks, the Iraqi armed forces were defeated by the Peshmerga forces and suffered heavy losses in lives and equipment, and on September 5, 1988, for several reasons, the leadership of the revolution decided to withdraw.
Khwakurk:
The Khwakurk area is located in the Bradost region and consists of 30 villages, and it is located in the border triangle (Iraq - Iran - Turkey). Its area is about 150 square kilometers, and it has several high mountains and peaks and includes a series of towering and rugged mountains, and it is of strategic and famous importance, including the mountains of Shili, Sari Chali, Korawa, Benlis, Brimishka, Joti Bra, Shaqio, Kamisha, Dalanbar, Odal Kiwi, Nazdari Dagh, Armush, Chia Dil, and in the south, Mount Rash and Mount Katak. The area starts from a valley behind the village of Lilekan until the border triangle of the three countries, which is a deep valley surrounded by mountains from all sides. The borders of Khwakurk extend from the village of (Bana) up to the border, and the village of Khazna is considered the last village in the Khwakurk valley.
It is worth noting that the leadership of the revolution established in June 1982 its main headquarters in the areas of Berkem and Lolan in the Bradost region. Its headquarters also expanded to include Mala Mala, Drao, Kuwersh, and Khanira, so that the area turned into an important center for the leadership of the revolution. This was an important turning point in the life of the revolution and the struggle of the Peshmerga, because it was a big step in bringing the leadership of the revolution closer to the grassroots base and had a positive impact on activating the Peshmerga groups to carry out their attacks on the institutions and military and party bases of the Ba'athist regime.
The reason for the outbreak of the Epic of Khwakurk
The Kurdistan political parties recorded throughout the Year 1987 great victories in many joint front activities, which enabled them to deal a fatal blow to the Ba'athist regime and seize a number of cities, towns, and areas. This was an incentive for the Kurdistan forces to form a front called the Kurdistan Front in July 1987. However, the Iraqi government suffered many major defeats in its eight-year war with Iran (1980-1988), especially in the recapture of Al-Faw. The Iraqi President at the time, Saddam Hussein, had lost and failed against Iran in that war, and he was aware of the danger of his losing power, so he established strong relations with Eastern and Western countries, especially in the field of purchasing weapons. International support for Iraq against Iran reached its peak, and Saddam Hussein and the Ba'athist regime enjoyed this support, especially in the recapture of Al-Faw, which pushed the Ba'athist regime to head towards Kurdistan with a vile plan to pour the cup of hatred and brutality on the Kurds. In March 1987, he appointed his relative Ali Hassan al-Majid, known among the Kurds as (Ali Chemical), as his representative in the North, who was the head of the state intelligence apparatus and a member of the Ba'ath Party leadership, and he was granted absolute authority over all state and party institutions, which means that he began to restore the sovereignty of the Ba'athist regime to the entire South Kurdistan.
In order to reach all areas of South Kurdistan that it had lost due to the war with Iran, the Ba'athist regime launched a tragic genocide campaign in eight stages under the name of Anfal, which began in the month of February and continued until the end of April 1988, supported by tanks, artillery, warplanes, and weapons of mass destruction (chemical weapons) in Garmian, Halabja, Barzan, Soran, Amidi, Zakho, and Duhok. As a result, hundreds of thousands of civilians, including children, women, youth, the elderly, and the disabled, were martyred, wounded, and buried alive in the deserts of southern and central Iraq, and many others fled to Iran and Turkey for fear of Ba'athist persecution, which destroyed the economic infrastructure of Kurdistan by destroying villages, houses, mosques, schools, and hospitals.
Because of the fear and intimidation practiced by the Ba'athist regime in all of South Kurdistan in general and the areas under the control of the Peshmerga in particular, people were looking for a way out of the persecution of the Ba'athist regime and to take refuge in neighboring countries. In this regard, many of the masses migrated and reached the borders. For its part, the Iraqi Army continued its military operations to reach the borders and prevent the gathering of refugees, and the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces decided to confront the regime's attackers as a national duty to protect the refugees in the area known as the (Iraqi - Iranian - Turkish) triangle in Khwakurk.
The other goal of the Ba'athist regime in this military campaign was to seize the main road of the First Branch in Badinan leading to the leadership and other areas, in order to cut off the borders of Badinan completely, and to prevent passage and communication with the leadership of the revolution.
Participating Iraqi forces:
The Iraqi Army and government forces in the attack on the Khwakurk area consisted of these military units and armed forces:
The 33rd Division of the 5th Corps
The 45th Division of the 1st Corps
The 18th Division
The 35th Division
The 66th Special Forces Brigade
The 68th Special Forces Brigade
The 702nd Infantry Brigade
The 1st Commando Battalion of the 33rd Division
The 402nd Infantry Brigade
The 120th Commando Brigade
The 2nd Internal Forces Brigade
The 3rd Battalion of the 2nd Commando Brigade and the 1st Independent Commando Battalion of the 3rd Division
The hired armed forces (Jash) light battalions
Five field artillery battalions and a number of mortar guns
Three tank battalions
A large number of warplanes and helicopters
Participating revolution forces:
The Peshmerga forces that participated in the Epic of Khwakurk formed a large percentage of the forces and organizations, under the sponsorship and direct supervision of the President Masoud Barzani.
1- The Refugee Force consisted of the organizations of August 16, September 11, and May 26, and the Ribaz organization.
2- The Barzan Force consisted of the organizations of Qalandar, Beran, Shirin, Zozk, and Brusk..
3- The Hamrin Force consisted of the organizations of Safin, Azmar, and Sakrma.
4- The Khabat forces from the Wasaka and Jargal organizations.
5) The organizations affiliated with the leadership of the revolution are the Karokh, Sordash, Kofand, Korz, and Aras organizations.
6- The Special Committee for Artillery of the Revolution.
7- The Baba Gurgur support forces affiliated with the Third Branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
8- The Zamnako support forces affiliated with the Fourth Branch of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.
9- The Popular Resistance Forces.
10- The forces affiliated with the branches (Second, Third, and Fourth) of the Party.
11- A detachment from the Iraqi Communist Party.
12- The Freedom Committee and its official Ali Shaaban, but it was performing its duties under the supervision and sponsorship of Nechirvan Barzani, and its mission was to secure provisions and supplies for the war fronts, and its headquarters was in the Ziwa complex.
Outbreak of the battle and attacks:
On July 17, 1988, the Islamic Republic of Iran agreed to a ceasefire with Iraq, and two days later, on July 19, 1988, the army and armed forces belonging to the Ba'athist regime launched a large-scale attack on the areas controlled by the revolution in the Khwakurk area in Bradost. With only weeks remaining until the end of the eight-year war between the two countries, the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces, under the direct command of President Masoud Barzani , decided to protect the lands of Kurdistan and the lives of those who had fled to the border to escape the persecution of the Ba'athist regime, with the participation of commanders Fazel Mirani، , Hamid Afandi, Zaim Ali, Azad Qaradaghi, Dr. Roj Nouri Shaways, Dr. Jirjis Hassan, Colonel Younis Rojbayani, Lieutenant Colonel Yaqub, Lieutenant Babakir Zebari, Mr. Salih, and Qadir Qadir , and Omar Osman, alongside the Peshmerga forces who were distributed across the combat axes. They formed a defensive war front according to a tight military plan and bravely confronted all the attacks of the Ba'athist regime's army, which was at that time the fifth-largest army in the world in terms of power, weapons, and equipment.
There is no doubt that the Khwakurk epic was an extension of the Ba'athist regime's military campaigns in the Anfal and the chemical attacks on Halabja and other places in Kurdistan, in a narrow border triangle area. When the Iraqi government built a large force of air and ground troops, such as commando forces, infantry brigades, and hired mercenaries, supported by warplanes, artillery, and chemical weapons of mass destruction, the revolution and the Kurdish people undoubtedly strongly rejected this military campaign as a confrontation by the Peshmerga and popular resistance forces with their weapons and through their women and children by collecting food and clothing and transporting them to the battlefields.
The battle began first behind Lolan in Khinera, after the Iraqi Army landed a military force by helicopter on Mount Shakio on July 21, 1988, to seize strategic positions in the area. However, the next day, July 22, the Hamrin Peshmerga forces attacked the Iraqi Army forces, and after a fierce battle, the entire Iraqi Army was defeated, suffering heavy losses in dead and wounded, with three soldiers captured. After the battle ended, the revolution lost one of the Peshmerga, and on July 24, the movements of the Iraqi Army in the Shakio and Sarsul mountains continued and increased, and it was clear that they were preparing for a major attack.
At exactly 10:30 AM on July 27, 1988, the Iraqi Army launched a major attack on the Peshmerga positions under the name "Tawakkaltu 'ala Allah" (I rely on God), and advanced from Sarsul towards Siyara, which is located in the heights of Shikhanok, without anyone noticing. As a result, several vehicles fell into their ambushes, and a citizen and his 12-year-old son were arrested and taken to an unknown location. When the Peshmerga realized this, they attacked them in retaliation and as a reaction, and were able to defeat them. 24 soldiers were captured, including four officers, and three Peshmerga were martyred in the battle, two of them from the Musaka organization Peshmerga and the other from the first branch of the Party. The Iraqi Army attack was carried out by the Third Battalion of the Second Commando Brigade and the First Independent Commando Battalion of the Third Division. According to information and reports from the Peshmerga forces regarding the damages and losses of the Iraqi Army forces in this war, more than 100 soldiers from the commando forces were killed.
Several days had passed since Iraq and Iran entered into a ceasefire process, but according to the indication in the book "Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement," on July 26, 1988, Mr. Baqir Tabatabai, commander of the Iranian Nasr Ramadan Headquarters, along with a group of Revolutionary Guard fighters and Hezbollah, visited Wadi Rash in the area with the aim of moving their headquarters inside Iranian territory, without knowing that the Iraqi Army was preventing them from passing. While they were going, they fell into an ambush by Iraqi forces and were all arrested and shot in the same place. When the Peshmerga forces attacked the Iraqi forces the next day, on the 27th of the same month, they defeated them and drove them out of the area. The Peshmerga transported their bodies and handed them over to the aforementioned headquarters, but there is no indication of Iran's position regarding that violation by the Iraqi Army. On the contrary, two days later, on July 29, the Iraqi forces tried to advance again and attacked the same place, and the Peshmerga forces led by Zaim Ali confronted them with great force. After a strong battle, the Iraqi forces were defeated, and in addition to the dead and wounded, three soldiers were captured, including an officer from the commando forces.
After the defeat of the Iraqi Army in these attacks against the Peshmerga, it changed its combat plan and resorted to using chemical weapons on the Nazdari Dag heights in Khwakurk and the Peshmerga headquarters in Kader and other places via a (Pilatus PC-7) aircraft on the morning of August 3, 1988. As a result, 60 Peshmerga were injured, some of whom were blinded due to the chemical gas attack launched by the Ba'athist regime. This did not only cause damage to the Peshmerga forces, but also wiped out many animals in the villages of northern Kurdistan. In order to organize and strengthen the refugee forces, the revolution leadership decided on August 1, 1988, to appoint Lieutenant Colonel Yaqub as the person responsible for the force, as government forces were gradually increasing pressure on the Peshmerga positions, especially in the Barzan force axis. Government attacks continued until the seventh of the month, and in return, the Peshmerga forces strengthened and maintained their defensive positions. Three commando soldiers were captured as hostages in an attack on the border of Mount Shakio, and the Iraqi Army achieved some progress in the Keli Rash axis reaching Darya Sor. As a result, the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the Hezbollah group who were present in Khwakurk blew up all the ammunition and military supplies they had and left the area and fled, and thus the full weight of the battle fell on the shoulders of the Peshmerga of Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Iraqi Communist Party. As for the other parties affiliated with the Kurdistan Front, they remained silent and neutral and did not participate in the battle; in fact, they even left the area. On August 8, 1988, the Iraqi Army launched a major attack on the Moslok front and the Shikhanok front, and after a heated battle, it achieved some progress and reached Barawa. Only one stage remained to reach Shikhanok, but it was stopped there, otherwise it would have completely controlled Shikhan and Sibara, which would have posed a great danger to the families who remained in their places because they had not yet crossed the Iranian border. On the evening of August 10, the Iraqi Army attacked the eastern front in Malzard, but the Peshmerga forces belonging to the Ribaz organization strongly confronted the attack and repelled it, and the commander of the Third Battalion of the 68th Special Forces Brigade was wounded by the fire of the Peshmerga forces and fell into the hands of the Peshmerga, but he later died of his wounds.
The Peshmerga did not lose in this round of fighting, and on the evening of August 10, 1988, a commando force of about 150 soldiers landed in 10 helicopters in an area called Dole Torshin, but the Peshmerga forces tasked with protecting the border resisted them and chased them until the entire force was destroyed, and those who were killed were killed and the rest were taken prisoner by the Peshmerga forces, and this constituted a major blow to the Iraqi Army forces, especially on the moral level, but it had a great impact on the morale and resistance of the Peshmerga forces, and despite the success of the Peshmerga forces in repelling all attacks of the Iraqi Army and causing heavy damage, the leadership of the revolution continued to review and reorganize the battle fronts, and Lieutenant Colonel Yaqubi was appointed as Commander of the battle front, and both Corporal Darwish and Hamid Arkushi as his assistants.
While the battles and attacks continued, the Karokh and 11 September organizations led by Ahmed Mala Siwar were on the Hashka and Sar Korawa front. In one of the battles, the Peshmerga forces faced gunmen from the mercenary forces in some places and forced them to retreat, and as a result, one of the Peshmerga members was martyred and three others were wounded, and the battles continued on all battle axes, and the Peshmerga forces were on the lookout for the enemy, and on the evening of August 11, 1988, despite the heavy shelling on the Peshmerga positions, the mercenary gunmen attacked again, but the Peshmerga forces continued to defend, as they were able to repel the enemy forces and they left the body of one of the mercenaries on the battlefield, and on the same day, a force of the Peshmerga consisting of 15 members from the Korz organization arrived at the battlefield, and the next day, i.e., on August 12, a force of the Popular Resistance consisting of about 80 members arrived at the battlefield to Support the Peshmerga forces and protect the homeland.
On August 13, 1988, fierce fighting took place on the Korawa and Qabri Zahir fronts from 4 am to 5 pm, in many places the fighting was hand-to-hand, and despite not knowing the size of the losses in the ranks of the soldiers and mercenary gunmen, all attacks were thwarted, and on August 14, government forces attacked the Kani Rash, Kharwan and Siro fronts on the Barzan forces front but were defeated, while on the Khwakurk axis, government forces tried to advance again, but the Peshmerga forces confronted them and were able to repel the attack and prevent them from advancing. On August 14, Peshmerga forces from the Third and Fourth Branches arrived led by Sayed Saleh and Qadir Qadir to the battlefield to Support the Peshmerga forces, and the next day, i.e., on the 15th of the month, another force from the Halabja local Committee arrived in Khwakurk and the battle fronts, which raised the morale of the Peshmerga forces and also constituted a great Support for the battlefields.
Throughout the days of last August, the Iraqi forces continued to attack the Peshmerga positions without giving up on pressuring them and evacuating the area, but the Peshmerga forces confronted them with all their strength and courage along all fronts, and were even forcing them to retreat, and at 2:30 pm on August 15, 1988, the Iraqi Army artillery shelled all Peshmerga positions and the intensity of the shelling was so severe that it was expected to cause heavy losses, and after an hour and a half, or rather at 4 pm, the shelling stopped, the Iraqi forces consisting of the army and the mercenary gunmen launched a ground attack, but the Peshmerga forces raided them from all sides and confronted them until they repelled the attack, says the President Masoud Barzani who was directly supervising the fighting: I spoke to all organizations via radio, the very important thing is that the morale of the Peshmerga was very high, they did not care about the enemy's attack, as for the losses and damage, some of the Peshmerga were wounded, and in return the Iraqi forces suffered heavy losses in lives and equipment, as the enemy left 46 bodies on the battlefield.
On August 16, 1988, the fighting between the two sides intensified, the defense and resistance of the Peshmerga forces continued, and on August 19, a number of Peshmerga members from the Third and Fourth Branches and from the Popular Resistance forces were martyred, and the shelling and artillery shelling were so severe that between 10 to 15 artillery shells were falling on the ground at one time, which led to the area turning into a piece of fire, and on August 20, a fierce battle broke out between the two forces, and the Peshmerga forces dealt a major blow to the Iraqi forces, and destroyed the 702nd Brigade of the 45th Division of the First Corps significantly, which led to the killing of a number of senior officers, including a battalion Commander and a company Commander, and in the following days, due to the successive defeats of the government forces, the attacks were no longer intense and hot and two helicopters were shot down, all these things raised the morale of the Peshmerga forces, and on the contrary, the morale of the Iraqi forces was constantly falling, so the army gathered its forces and attacked the Korawa front as usual, and the Peshmerga confronted them after a fierce battle, their attack was repelled and blocked. On the night of August 24/25, 1988, the Iraqi Army gathered what remained of its forces and attacked the Korawa front, and as every time, the Peshmerga forces confronted it and after a fierce battle the army's attack was repelled and it was forced to retreat and leave the battlefield.
Sari Korawa is considered the highest peak in the Khwakurk area, so it was considered a strategic location from a Military point of view, and for this reason the Iraqi Army was pressuring it to control the surrounding area, and there was another elevation at the last point of the Iraqi border, which is Mount Raqib west of Khwakurk, no Peshmerga force was deployed in it due to the breadth of the battle front, and the Iraqi Army tried to reach the elevation from the back, i.e., from inside the Turkish territory and bypass the Peshmerga forces, but when the Peshmerga forces realized that, they formed a large force of Peshmerga from the Barzan forces, and did not allow them to advance, and the Peshmerga forces confronted them at the foot of Mount Raqib with all courage, and prevented them from crossing the area, and after the clashes ended it was decided to withdraw and retreat.
The fighting was constantly intensifying, and on August 27, two Peshmerga were martyred in Qabri Zahir due to the intense attacks launched by the Iraqi forces, and on August 28, five Peshmerga members were martyred in shelling on the Headquarters of the Jarja L organization, and on the same night, a force belonging to the 66th Special Brigade (Special Forces) attacked the Peshmerga positions on the Korawa border, and after a fierce battle and strong resistance from the Peshmerga, the enemy forces were defeated this time as well and were forced to retreat after inflicting heavy losses, especially in the second battalion of the mentioned brigade, and two Peshmerga were martyred and the Peshmerga Commander Anwar Hajj Othman was wounded.
On the 30th of the same month, the government forces attacked again on the Korawa border and fierce fighting took place from 5 am to 4 pm, the Fourth Branch Peshmerga forces confronted them strongly and inflicted heavy losses on them and the attack was repelled, and one of the Peshmerga members was martyred in this battle and five others were wounded, and on September 4, 1988, the Zamnako forces from the Fourth Branch attacked the army bases and government forces in the Jamka Bi area, which led to the outbreak of a fierce battle that lasted forty-eight hours, and they were able to deal a strong blow to the Iraqi forces and inflicted heavy losses among them in dead and wounded, while two of the Peshmerga members were martyred.
After the government forces used all their power and capability to attack the Peshmerga positions from all fronts, the government forces did not achieve any gain other than defeat and heavy losses in lives and property. However, they were able to achieve some progress in some places, but they did not spare any effort in shelling and airstrikes, the intensity of which increased continuously, which led to the martyrdom and wounding of a number of Peshmerga. Despite the shortage of ammunition on the battlefields, which posed a major problem for the Peshmerga forces, the month of September is the beginning of the cold season in the border areas, and according to an indication of the freezing of water in the personal water carriers of the Peshmerga, this was another obstacle and a cause for the burden faced by the Peshmerga forces in front of the armed forces of the Ba'athist regime, which possessed a large force armed with countless weapons. Therefore, after discussing the Situation on September 5, 1988, the leadership of the revolution decided to withdraw the Peshmerga forces from the combat axes, and in light of the leadership's decision, the Peshmerga began to withdraw from all defensive combat fronts, and on the sixth of the same month, all forces withdrew.
Losses of the Iraqi Army and forces in the Khwakurk epic:
The Iraqi Army suffered heavy losses in this epic, including the killing and wounding of about 1000 soldiers and mercenary gunmen, the identities of 350 of whom fell into the hands of the Peshmerga. Among the dead were many with high ranks and Military Offices. Another source stated that the loss of life for the government forces reached (8450) soldiers and mercenary gunmen, including more than 1000 holders of high Military ranks, in addition to the capture of a large number of soldiers and those with high ranks, but they were released by the Peshmerga forces by order of the revolution leadership. On the other hand, four military helicopters were destroyed in this epic, and a large proportion of weapons, ammunition, and Military equipment were destroyed. Regarding the release of the prisoners, according to a source, President Barzani, in a speech he gave after the end of the battles and the withdrawal of the Peshmerga forces from the battlefields, in which he thanked the Peshmerga forces for their resistance and courage, asked the 32 prisoners who had been detained by the Peshmerga forces to come forward, and told them that they were free to return to their Military units. Among them, 30 soldiers returned to the Iraqi Army, and two of them who belonged to the Iraqi Dawa Party did not return and asked to travel Outside the Country. A group of Peshmerga, by order of President Barzani, monitored and guided them until they joined the government forces again in an area called Khana Sbi, and from there, the Peshmerga monitored the captured soldiers from a distance until they reached the Iraqi Military base. When they arrived, they immediately arrested the three soldiers and executed them by firing squad.
Another source stated that an Officer in the Iraqi Army with the rank of First Lieutenant was wounded in one of the battles and was detained by the Peshmerga forces as a prisoner, and they transported him to the rear of the battle to receive treatment. On the way, the wounded man asked the Peshmerga what they were doing to him, and they replied that they would take him to the doctor to treat his wounds, but the Officer refused and told them that killing him was better than treating his wounds, "Kill anyone you take prisoner from the army soldiers, because you are satisfied with this Life in the mountains, while we fight you, and you are treating us," noting that this Officer passed away due to the severity of his wounds.
Most of the dead were from the personnel of the battalions and brigades below, and we can say that they were all finished, and the Military units that lost their soldiers are:
1- 33rd Division
2- 45th Division
3- 35th Division
4- 18th Division
5- 68th Brigade Special Forces
6- 66th Brigade Special Forces
7- 1st Independent Commando battalion
8- 702nd Infantry Brigade
9- 402nd Infantry Brigade
10- 120th Commando Brigade
11- 2nd Commando Brigade
Losses of the revolution forces
In the battle that began on July 19, 1988, and continued until September 5, 1988, i.e., about 45 days, the losses of the revolution forces amounted to 38 Martyr Peshmerga and 104 wounded.
Gains and spoils of the revolution:
The Peshmerga forces were able in this epic to seize a large quantity of weapons, wireless devices, and Military equipment, which became a gain for the revolution, such as:
More than 600 various light and heavy weapons.
18 wireless devices and a large quantity of various Military equipment and Ammunition.
Results of the battle:
The battle had great importance from the political, Military, and strategic aspects. From the Military aspect, the Peshmerga were able during 45 days of fighting to achieve a great victory, repelled most of the attacks of the armed forces, and obtained many weapons and Ammunition. It also caused great losses in lives and property to the Iraqi Army. From the political aspect, it thwarted the dream of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, which believed that the end of the war with Iran would end the defense of the Kurd revolution, but the Khwakurk epic invalidated all these trends and opinions.
The continuity and steadfastness of the Peshmerga in the face of dozens of attacks by the Iraqi Army and forces supported by artillery shelling, tank and artillery shelling, warplanes, and the use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons for 45 days turned into a historical epic.
This Khwakurk epic proved the fact that the end of the Iraq-Iran war would not affect the disruption of the Kurd revolution, but the Peshmerga forces would continue to record activities of epics and heroic combat events. After the end of the Khwakurk epic, President Masoud Barzani gave a historical speech to the Peshmerga forces in which he said: "It will not be long before Iraq witnesses changes in a short time," and he called on the Peshmerga forces to prepare for the changes that would occur in the region. This is what happened; in August 1990, Iraq invaded the State of Kuwait and occupied it within 24 hours, and the Situation changed, which led to the imposition of United Nations Resolution No. 687 on Iraq, followed by the outbreak of the Gulf War, and in the spring of the Year 1991, the popular uprising took place in South Kurdistan, where all Ba'athist government institutions, the army, and the armed forces of the Ba'athist regime were expelled and removed from the cities and towns of Kurdistan.
The Khwakurk battle had a great echo in the international media and also regarding the repeated attacks launched by the Iraqi Army to suppress and exterminate the Kurd, especially after the end of the war with Iran which lasted eight years, and then the regime turned towards Kurdistan where it took steps that exceeded all expectations, including the use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons and toxic gases against defenseless civilian populations. The international media also published the heroism and sacrifices shown by the Peshmerga forces and their intense resistance and confrontation of the attacks and assaults of the Iraqi Army and forces. Among the media outlets were London Radio, the Associated Press, the Resalat newspaper (Iran edition), and Voice of America radio.
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2- Hawkar Muhammad Muhammad-Rashid, Armed Struggle in South Kurdistan 1976-1988, (Danishfar Printing House - Erbil - 2024).
3- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurd Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, first edition, (Roxana Printing House - 2021).
4- Wali Zubair Hostani, Some Tales, Events, and Incidents in the Barzan Revolutions and Uprisings, First Edition, (Rojhalat Printing House - Erbil - 2017).
5- Ghazi Adil Gardi, A Peshmerga in the Service of the Barzani Path - Haji Birokhi, Volume Two, (Second Edition - Turkey - 2021).
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7- Omar Osman, The Life of a Kurd, Volumes One and Two, Second Edition, (Mukriyani Printing House - 2008).
8- Shimal Zebari, Some Hidden Truths in the Gulan Revolution, First Edition, (Rojhalat Printing House - Erbil - 2015).
9- Archive of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Board.