In order to achieve complete hegemony and control over various regions of Kurdistan and silence the voice of the revolution, the Ba'ath government was constantly launching attacks on the areas where the revolution was dominant, because the Peshmerga factions and forces were launching from these areas to carry out fedayeen operations and direct strong blows to the military and armed forces belonging to the government, and thus the government forces were suffering heavy losses in lives and equipment, in addition to a moral collapse, as fear and terror took over them to the extent that they were not able in many places even to protect their military bases and outposts, therefore, they were facing the Peshmerga forces by all means, in order to maintain their authority and gains.

On 5 April 1987, the military and armed forces belonging to the Ba'ath Party, supported by tanks, artillery, warplanes, and two large bulldozers, launched a large-scale attack on the Sandya region, with the aim of controlling the region, destroying the villages, and removing the danger of the Peshmerga forces, which were exerting great pressure on the government forces, and became a source of great fear and anxiety, the attack was carried out from several axes, including: the axis of the villages of Khwaki and Livo, the axis of the villages of Navkandala, Ziuki, Mirgasora and the axis of the village of Sari Silavki.

When the news of the government's attack on the region reached the leadership of the revolution in Badinan, a ready force of Peshmerga was immediately sent to the region to repel and defeat the government forces' attack, this force consisted of forces belonging to the Duhok local committee led by Ali Qadir, the Toilers Organization belonging to the Kurdistan Democratic Party led by Muhammad Murad, and a force from the Iraqi Communist Party. The Peshmerga forces were stationed in their designated positions and monitored the situation. They noticed that the government forces did not leave anything without causing damage to it in the areas they reached. They set fire to houses in the villages of Livo, Mirgasora, Ziuki, Sari Silavka, and Navkandala, and began destruction and sabotage, and the Peshmerga forces, which were not comparable in any way in terms of number and weapons with the large and huge Iraqi forces equipped with all weapons, ammunition, tanks, artillery, and aircraft, confronted them and a fierce battle began.

The residents of the villages that were attacked by the Iraqi Army fled their villages to protect their lives because of the destruction and artillery and aerial bombardment launched by the government forces, the government's attacks from the ground and air continued, and the Peshmerga forces continued with all their strength to fight with the light weapons and ammunition they had so that their supply would not be cut off, in addition to that, they faced hunger, thirst, and a lack of food and supplies in all axes of the fighting.

The continuous steadfastness of the Peshmerga forces, as a strong barrier, turned the course of the battle from defense to attack, so after the arrival of a force of Peshmerga belonging to the Peasants Organization to support the battle front, they launched a counter-attack on the advance of the government forces and tightened the noose on them.

 The Peshmerga attacks continued until three o'clock in the afternoon in the villages of Livo, Ziuki, and Mirgasora, and they were able to exert great pressure on the government forces, until they drove them out of the three villages and chased them to the main Zakho – Bativa road, this attack launched by the government on the Sandya region ended with a major defeat for its military and armed forces, in addition to the killing and wounding of a large number of its soldiers and the capture of three mercenaries, the Peshmerga's losses were limited to the martyrdom of one fighter and the wounding of another, in addition to the burning and destruction of civilians' orchards and farms as a result of the intense artillery and aerial bombardment.

After the battle ended, he summoned Masoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish liberation movement, the official of the Toilers Organization and the organization's cadre Muhammad Murad and Abdul Aziz Ismail to the Niroh and Rikan region, and expressed his thanks and appreciation to them for their steadfastness and victory in thwarting the attack of the Iraqi Army and armed forces, and he also gifted them a prize consisting of a machine gun of the (PKC) type.

Sources:

1- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975- 1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, (Roksana Press- 2021).

2- Muhammad Murad, Struggle of the Mountains, Memoirs and events of the Gulan Revolution between the years (176-1989), (Kurdistan Press – Zakho- 2007).