Omar Agha Pass is located north of the Diana Plain between the villages of Badliyan in the south and Shikhan in the north. The main road from Soran to Sidekan passes through this pass. On April 6, 1966, the Iraqi army launched the (Tawakkul 'ala Allah) attack from land and air on Handren, Zozk, and Omar Agha Pass. On September 3, 1974, the Third Brigade, supported by a tank battalion, attacked the pass, but the bodies of 230 of their soldiers were left on the battlefield, along with a large number of wounded.
Omar Agha Pass is located north of the Diana Plain between the villages of Badliyan in the south and Shikhan in the north. The main road from Soran to Sidekan passes through this pass. It is approximately 1200m above sea level.
The Ba'ath regime, which took power in Iraq through a military coup on July 30, 1968, soon realized that it was unable to stop the September Revolution and could not defeat it or cause it to collapse through military means. Therefore, it opened the door to negotiations with the revolution and signed the March 11, 1970 agreement regarding autonomy for Southern Kurdistan. However, during the four years of ceasefire and negotiations, it reorganized and rearmed its army ranks and military units, began making excuses, and reneged on implementing the agreement. On March 16, 1974, it launched a military attack on Kurdistan once again.
Although the battles of Omar Agha Pass and the military campaign to seize this strategic location have an earlier history dating back to April 6, 1966, when the Iraqi army launched the (Tawakkul 'ala Allah) attack from land and air on Handren, Zozk, and Omar Agha Pass, during the days that the Iraqi army's invasion campaign continued, they were unable to overcome the Peshmerga forces. Instead, all their attacks were repelled by the Peshmerga forces with the support of the revolution's artillery. In that Iraqi army attack on the pass, five Peshmerga were martyred.
After the resumption of the war in 1974, the Iraqi army advanced from several areas and seized them. The Peshmerga withdrew from Rawandiz, the foothills of Korek, and Mount Gorez and established a defensive line at Benekawl, Mount Handren, Mount Zozk, Sartiz, and Omar Agha Pass, in order to prevent the Iraqi army from advancing further and to stop its progress. However, the Iraqi army continued to attack the Peshmerga positions with the intention of occupying all strategic locations and weakening and destroying the revolution in a short time.
This time, the occupation of Omar Agha Pass and the breaking of that defensive line put the Kurdistan Peshmerga forces under planning and attack. On September 3, 1974, the Third Brigade, led by Brigadier General Hamid al-Dulaimi, supported by a tank battalion, attacked the pass. At the beginning of the attack, the Iraqi army shelled the entire area with artillery and the Air Force, but the Peshmerga forces had built their positions with poplar wood in a very good manner and with successful military technique. During the bombardment, they hid inside, so the bombardment did not have much effect.
It can be said that the Iraqi army's purpose in occupying this pass was related to the fact that it was a strategic point and a junction for dividing the Peshmerga forces across other battle fronts in Zozk, Sartiz, and Sari Bardi. To thwart the Iraqi army's plan, the Peshmerga sent more forces, fortified their positions, and strengthened their defense.
Right at the start of the Iraqi army's attack, the Peshmerga forces were able to destroy four tanks with 106mm anti-tank guns, because the revolution's artillery, under the command of Hali Dolamari, played a very important and effective role in defeating this attack, as they communicated with the artillery commanders by radio from the front line to shell the Iraqi army. Although the commander of the Third Brigade of the Iraqi army continued to attack and was insistent on occupying Omar Agha Pass and was able to seize a number of positions, the shelling by the revolution's artillery played a decisive role in preventing the Iraqi army from advancing further. The Peshmerga also carried out a counter-attack and engaged in hand-to-hand combat until they were able to retake all their positions.
Clearly, the Iraqi army did everything in its power and took steps to seize the pass, overcome the Peshmerga forces' positions, and break the revolution's defensive line. After eight hours of intense fighting, the Iraqi army brigade was completely destroyed, with the bodies of 230 of their soldiers left on the battlefield, along with a large number of wounded. They were unable to succeed and instead suffered a major defeat.
The remnants were forced to retreat to the village of Badliyan, south of Omar Agha Pass. They were unable to attack the Peshmerga positions again until the capture of Mount Sartiz, which is located above this pass and overlooks it, making it difficult for the Peshmerga to remain there. Therefore, the revolution's leadership ordered a retreat and the evacuation of that location. It decided to establish another defensive line at Beshe Pass, Mount Hassan Beg, and Sari Bardi to prevent the enemy army from coming forward and advancing any further.
Sources:1- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part Two, First Edition, Erbil 2004.
2- Ibrahim Jalal, Southern Kurdistan and the September Revolution, Building and Collapse, 1961-1975. Fourth Edition, 2021.
3- Ghazi Adil Gardi, A Peshmerga in the Service of Barzani ... Haji Birokhi, Volume One, Second Edition, 2020.
4- History of Contemporary Iraq, Dr. Ibrahim Khalil Ahmed and Dr. Jaafar Abbas Hamdi, Mosul, 1989.
5- Sangar Ibrahim Khoshnaw, Military Events of the September Revolution 1970-1975, first edition, Erbil.
6- Archive of the Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Board.