After more than a year of ceasefire between the Iraqi government and the Aylul Revolution, the regime of Abdul Salam Arif reneged on the promises within the ceasefire. At the end of March 1965, it once again imposed the fire of war on Kurdistan, believing that the division of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Kurdish revolution was a suitable time to restart attacks and assaults, as it would increase their chances of success. In the autumn of 1965, the Iraqi Army launched a major attack on the Bani Harir and Zinatir mountains. A fierce battle continued for three days, in which a large number of soldiers and mercenaries (Jash) were killed.
In that battle, the revolution's artillery played an important and effective role in shelling the Iraqi forces, especially the tents and army barracks in the Harir plain with 25-pounder guns, which were supervised by the revolution's artillery officer, Lieutenant Khadr Abdullah Dabbagh. It was able to cause great damage to the Iraqi Army and create immense chaos in the barracks, which is evident in the praise and appreciation of the Peshmerga Commander, Yunis Rojbayani, on the battlefront, who thanked them via radio and conveyed his appreciation.
The year 1965 and the following year were among the difficult years of the revolution's life. Many fierce battles took place and great victories were achieved. In that same year, the revolution's leadership was moved from the Pishdar region to the Balakayati region until the collapse of 1975. Therefore, the government had placed most of its power and the weight of its ground and air attacks and assaults on that region, with the intention of reaching the revolution's leadership as soon as possible and defeating it, in order to bring about its collapse in the near future.
It is clear that the battles that took place during that period lasted for a year without the government being able to achieve a decisive victory. Although it was able to take control of some cities and towns, the mountainous regions were more suitable for the Peshmerga forces to defend, and they were able to cause great damage to the government forces, and that is exactly what happened. In general, in those battles, the Iraqi Army suffered heavy losses. Many corpses of officers and soldiers were left on the battlefronts, and dozens of various weapons fell into the hands of the Peshmerga forces, which forced the government to increase the number of soldiers and military supplies on the battlefront.
Sources:1- Hawkar Karim Hama Sharif, Aylul Revolution, Salahaddin University Press, First Edition, Erbil – 2012.
2- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part One, Aylul Revolution 1961-1975, First Edition – Erbil, 2004.
3- Lieutenant Khadr Abdullah Dabbagh, Artillery of the Great Aylul Revolution, Third Edition, Ministry of Culture Press, Erbil – 2020.
4- Karwan Jawhar Muhammad, Idris Barzani 1944-1987 Life and Political and Military Role in the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Hevi Press, Erbil - 2019.