The Peshmerga Forces in the Mount Sefin axis retreated to the Balisan Valley, with the aim of establishing a strong defensive plan in a semi-circular shape to connect the Bitwata forces and the Pishdar front. The Peshmerga Forces were able to establish an impenetrable barrier against the advance of the Iraqi Army, starting from Qaladiza reaching to Bitwata, so that it could not approach the Balakayati area where the revolution's command headquarters was located.

The infantry forces of the Iraqi Army moved in August 1974 to open its path of advance from Koisanjaq to Jwarqurna. When it reached the area, its goal was to control the Bitwen plain, along with the heights of the Makok and Shishar mountains, in order to extend full control over the entire area.

The army's goal was also to drive the Peshmerga Forces out of Makok and reach Mount Karokh opposite the Qasre sub-district, as well as to occupy the Zozk and Skiz mountains on the Rawanduz front and advance towards the Hassan Bek summit, and from there to outflank Galala, and thus they could from there besiege the revolution's leadership. The army's goal was also to relieve the burden on its forces when attacking Mount Makok and Dole Raqa, and to move part of the Peshmerga Forces to the battle front in the Bitwata area.

 The large Iraqi Army forces consisted of two military divisions and hired gunmen (Jash). To implement its plan, it launched an attack on Mount Makok behind Sarujawa and the Khanzad summit. The Peshmerga Forces stationed on the berms in the defensive line consisted of the Second Battalion of the Erbil Plain Forces led by Saadi Aziz, the First Battalion of the Sefin Forces led by Karim Faqi, and another company belonging to the Erbil Plain Forces led by Haji Ali. As the soldiers ascended the heights of Makok, the Peshmerga confronted them, where a number of Iraqi Army soldiers were killed and others were wounded, and others fled the battlefield. The following day, the army launched the attack again on the heights of Makok, and this time it was able to control the right side of the mountain. 

On August 30, the Iraqi Army again gathered its forces and began the attack supported by tanks, artillery, and warplanes. It began with intense shelling on the Peshmerga berms, where the army used Katyushas for the first time. After the attack on Mount Makok, they reached Sarujawa and the surrounding villages. The number of Peshmerga confronting this major army attack was very small. The army launched an attack on September 4 on the heights of the Andik and Antoz summits. The army used all its capabilities of heavy weapons and aircraft, and in cooperation with the hired gunmen (Jash), it was able to control them in the evening.    

In the meantime, an urgent telegram arrived from the commander of the (2nd) Army to the commanders of the region, to attach a force of Peshmerga as support to the battle fronts, and to start the attack to reach the mountain heights. The supporting force consisted of one of the battalions of the Sefin Forces led by Corporal Ali Mauludi, and the Second Battalion led by Sayed Kaka belonging to the Erbil Plain Forces. These Peshmerga forces ascended Mount Makok on the night of September 6/7, 1974, and set up defensive berms again. The Iraqi Army continued its attacks with the support of the air force and artillery, but the Peshmerga Forces were this time in a strong defensive position and confronted all attacks and did not allow the army to reach Mount Makok.  

At eleven o'clock on the night of September 8, 1974, the Iraqi Army attacked Mount Makok again and continued until dawn. This time, the Peshmerga did not allow the army to achieve victory, and the army suffered a major defeat, leaving fifty of its soldiers dead on the battlefield. The Peshmerga Forces continued to defend the area for two months, which prevented the Iraqi Army from achieving its goals. This is due to the experience of the commanders in the region and their experience in battles and maintaining control over positions by planting mines and fencing them according to their available capabilities. During these two months, the Iraqi Army launched (15) attacks on the Peshmerga Forces with the support of a large force of Jash, commandos, and special forces, and suffered heavy human and material losses during those battles.  

 Although the Peshmerga Forces suffered losses of martyrs and wounded, they also achieved important gains. For example, in one attack, they obtained (10) weapons, and in another attack, (150) Kalashnikovs, (3) mortars, (4) portable wireless devices, and two Russian five-shot sniper rifles, and even an entire battalion was annihilated during another attack.

In the middle of September, the Iraqi Army began shelling Peshmerga positions at twelve noon, and then a battalion of special forces attacked the positions of Sayed Kaka's battalion. The Peshmerga had information about this attack, so they hid to let the enemy approach them and to inflict heavy losses on the attacking force. When they approached them to a distance of 100 meters, they attacked them and directed their weapon fire at them. The army's attack failed, as (150) of them were killed and (100) were wounded, in addition to seizing large quantities of weapons and ammunition. The attacking Iraqi battalion was completely destroyed, and the Peshmerga's losses in this battle were (9) martyrs and (27) wounded.

That resistance and bravery of the Peshmerga Forces against a strong army of a quarter of a million equipped with advanced weapons thwarted the government's plans to end the Kurdish revolution. They intended at the beginning of their attacks with this preparation to eliminate the revolution in the shortest time according to their military plans. They had set the month of September as the final deadline to end the revolution, then they changed the date to the month of December, and all these deadlines failed and could not make any change in the situation, until the March 6, 1975 agreement, where they were able to cause a setback. Aylul Revolution.

  

         

Sources:

  1. Masoud Barzani: Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Three, Part Two, Aylul Revolution 1961-1975, First Edition – Erbil, 2004.

  2. Khurshid Shera: Struggle and Blood, Memoirs of the Peshmerga Years, Haji Hashim Printing House, Third Edition, Erbil – 2015.

  3. Sangar Ibrahim Khoshnaw: Military Events of the Aylul Revolution 1970-1975, First Edition, Erbil, 2022.

  4. Sayed Kaka: Memoirs of a Peshmerga, Ministry of Culture Printing House, First Edition, Erbil - 1997.

Karwan Jawhar Muhammad: Idris Barzani 1944-1987 Life and Political and Military Role in the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Hevi Printing House, Erbil, 2019.