The epic of Mount Haybat Sultan took place on June 25, 1963, when the Iraqi government resumed its military campaign and offensive against Kurdistan. Although the army and the mercenaries suffered a major defeat in the first assault and sustained heavy losses, they were able to capture Mount Haybat Sultan in the second attack because the Peshmerga forces were ordered to retreat to the Rania and Betwata area.
In the summer of 1963, the Iraqi government imposed war on Kurdistan with a planned, disastrous strategy. It turned its back on dialogue and peaceful solutions and resumed its campaign of destroying the cities and villages of Kurdistan, especially those areas that were under the authority of the revolution. This came after the Baathists were able to seize power in Iraq through a military coup.
After occupying the city of Koya and committing a massacre of the city's civilians, in which dozens of innocent people were killed by the order of Taha Shakarchi, the commander of the Iraqi Army's military force against Koya, the Peshmerga force was forced to retreat to Mount Haybat Sultan to establish a defensive line on the mountain. According to the order they were given, another Peshmerga force went from the Pirer base to strengthen that defensive line, one of them under the command of Faris Bawa and the other under the supervision of Weso Dizeyi.
The Iraqi government made full preparations for a major attack on Mount Haybat Sultan on the eastern side of the city of Koya, which overlooks the city, under the supervision of Colonel Saeed Hamo, commander of the Fifth Brigade of the Second Division. The Peshmerga force was supported by another Peshmerga force under the command of Abdullah Pishdari, and they were tasked with defending and protecting the area.
On June 25, 1963, the Iraqi Army, supported by a force of mercenaries (Jash) and several armored units and an artillery battalion, attacked the Peshmerga positions. Also, the way was paved for this attack by aerial bombardment. A fierce battle began between the attacking force and the Peshmerga defenders, which continued until the evening. As a result, the army and the Jash suffered a significant defeat, and at the same time, they suffered heavy losses, with several dead bodies left on the battlefield. In contrast, the Peshmerga force had one Martyr and three wounded.
After the victory, the commander of that battle axis, Omar Dababa, in a telegram to Mustafa Barzani , the leader of the revolution and the Political Bureau of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, clarified the situation of the battle and its results, and also mentioned that he needed ammunition.
After a while, the Iraqi Army reorganized its forces and began preparing for another attack. Two more infantry battalions came to their aid. It then thought that it had the ability to attack the Peshmerga positions again, but this time they started their attacks very fiercely. Their shelling and bombing were so intense on the Peshmerga positions that holding out was very difficult. Also, the shortage of ammunition and war supplies was another problem for the Peshmerga, so they decided to vacate that defensive line and retreat towards Betwata and Rania. Accordingly, the Iraqi Army was able to triumph over Mount Haybat Sultan and take control of it. With the capture of the mountain, the government stopped its offensive in that area. Then, some of the forces that participated in that battle joined the forces that attacked the Mergasor area.
After the end of the attack and the achievement of the goal by the Iraqi Army, the battles and attacks of the Iraqi Army calmed down for a while, and the area experienced relative calm. This was a suitable opportunity for the Peshmerga force to reorganize their forces and continue the revolutionary struggle in a partisan manner. It was decided to establish Peshmerga bases and headquarters in several villages in the area, and several villages were designated for this.
Sources:
1- Masoud Barzani, Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part One, Aylul Revolution 1961-1975, 1st edition 2004.
2- Ibrahim Jalal, Southern Kurdistan and the Aylul Revolution: Building and Destruction 1961-1975, 4th edition, 2021.
3- Khoshawi Ali Kanyelnji, Memoirs of Aziz Qazi Surchi, Daneshfar Printing House, Erbil, 2023.
4- Khurshid Shere, Struggle and Blood, Memoirs of the Years of Peshmerga Struggle, 3rd edition, Erbil, 2015.
5- Sayed Kaka, Memoirs of a Peshmerga, Ministry of Culture Printing House, 1st edition, 1997.
6- Ghazi Adil Gardi, A Peshmerga in the Service of the Barzani Path: Haji Birokhi, Volume One, 2nd edition, Turkey, 2021.