After the collapse of the Aylul Revolution in March 1975, the Kurdish leadership thought about continuing the revolution, that it was necessary to return to the field of struggle with Peshmerga activity. Although the leadership of the revolution was spending that period in a state of displacement and under the supervision of the Country of Iran, it provided the opportunity in any way possible for the revolution to restart and to infiltrate groups and Peshmerga forces into various areas and regions of Kurdistan, to whisper into the ear of the Iraq regime that the revolution continues and that defending the rights of the Kurds is impossible to give up.

      Clearly, the struggle of the Kurdish revolution this time was seen in many Peshmerga activities here and there, far from front-line warfare, so that for whatever reason, they would not let the Iraq regime find peace and live in comfort. It was in the middle of 1976 that the armed revolution restarted and once again gave hope and aspiration to the residents of Kurdistan. This step was a historical turning point in the history of the Kurds. To that end, the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan, throughout the revolution, carried out many activities and military operations in various areas and dealt heavy blows to the military, security, and armed units of the Iraq regime.   

    The activity that we want to talk about in these few lines is the Sharanish battle on the main road between Sharanish and the Takhi plain in the Qala Salmani area of the Sindi region. Clearly, the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan were always looking for an opportunity to strike the military units of the Iraq army. It was on the morning of August 18, 1976, that an Iraq army force fell into an ambush by a Peshmerga force, and a fierce battle took place between them. After the battle ended, the Peshmerga were able to inflict heavy losses on that Iraq army force, which consisted of the killing of twelve soldiers, including an officer with the rank of Captain and another with the rank of First Lieutenant. Also, a vehicle driver with the rank of Sergeant and several other non-commissioned officers were among the killed. The spoils of this Peshmerga activity consisted of a number of Kalashnikov rifles. 

      Although these types of Peshmerga activities do not fall into the category of liberating an area that the Peshmerga has seized and remained in, it was a strike against the army's military units within the framework of the revolution's guerrilla activities and was a morale booster for the Peshmerga forces against their enemy. At the same time, it was a message to the Iraq regime of that time that the revolution continues to defend the rights of the people of Kurdistan.   

Sources:

  1. Ghazi Adil Gardi: A Peshmerga in the Service of Barzani, Volume Two, Second Edition, Turkey - 2021.

  2.  Masoud Barzani: Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, Roxana Printing House, 2021.      

  3. Jamal Fathullah Tayeb: The Kurdish Liberation Movement in Southern Kurdistan 1976-1980, First Edition, Shahab Printing House, Erbil - 2012.