The Zambil Frosh battle is another of the confrontations between the Kurdistan Peshmerga Forces and the Ba'ath regime's army. On March 22, 1980 in the Batufa area, a Peshmerga force set an ambush for a military force of the Iraqi Army on a main road. As a result, the army force fell into the ambush and suffered heavy losses. At this time, another force belonging to the Batufa Brigade of the Iraqi Army arrived at the scene of the incident to support and assist their defeated force, and upon their arrival, a fierce battle and clash took place between the Peshmerga force and the army soldiers that lasted for several hours. As a result, the Peshmerga force defeated the Iraqi Army forces and forced them to retreat to their previous positions with heavy human and material losses.
After the collapse of the September Revolution in 1975, the Ba'ath regime exerted all its power and effort to prevent the resurgence of the Kurd revolution and to limit the activity of the Peshmerga. For this purpose, it established several mercenary armed forces from those Kurds who were supporters and followers of their own, such as special detachments (Mufaraz Khasa). In addition, after the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq War in September 1980, it created several light battalions, through which thousands of Kurds were armed. Despite this, it had covered the entire Kurdistan with a massive military force of divisions, brigades, and battalions, supported by heavy weapons, tanks, artillery, and warplanes.[1].
Regarding the revolution, after holding the Ninth Congress of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in November 1979 in Eastern Kurdistan [2], in light of the congress decisions, preparations were made to send back the Peshmerga Forces in the form of special groups and detachments to Kurdistan, with the aim of connecting with the supporters of the revolution, starting organizational work inside the cities, and carrying out Peshmerga Activity.[3].
It was on March 22, 1980 that a force of approximately (55) Peshmerga, under the command of Ali Qadir, Osman Qasim, Sado Korki, and Omar Ali, who had been divided into four groups, while they were busy with Peshmerga work and tasks in Batufa in the Badinan area, received information that Saddam Hussein, the then-president of the Iraqi regime, was visiting the area. Apparently, this was a suitable opportunity for that Peshmerga force to carry out an activity at that moment. For this purpose, early in the morning, they set an ambush on one of the main roads in the area. At 30:11 o'clock, (4) military vehicles of the IFA type appeared and fell into the Peshmerga ambush. With the first burst of Peshmerga gunfire, all four military vehicles were destroyed, resulting in many deaths and injuries among the Iraqi regime's soldiers.[4].
At this time, a military force belonging to the Batufa Brigade of the Iraqi Army arrived at the scene of the confrontation from the eastern part of the area to assist the defeated force. Also, another military force belonging to the Dashti Chie Battalion, a force belonging to the Avgenie Battalion, and the Badr force, which belonged to the Zakho Division, headed toward the battlefield. As a result, a fierce battle took place between the government forces and the Peshmerga force, which lasted until nightfall. Then, the government forces were defeated and retreated to their military units. After the defeat of the Iraqi Army forces, the Peshmerga force left the scene of the incident and went toward the village of Beghabari, then toward the villages of Blejani, Korka, Hashara, and Bare Brisk, hiding during the day and moving at night until they reached the Headquarters of Branch 1.
In that battle, the Iraqi regime's army suffered heavy human losses, consisting of the death and injury of approximately (120) soldiers and officers. In this epic, two Peshmerga named Salih Khilafte and Hussein Maruf were Martyred, and their bodies fell into the hands of the regime's military forces. Also, two Peshmerga were wounded, and a civilian from the area named Ahmed Yahya Tayeb was Martyred().
Sources:1- Muhammad Murad: Khabata Chia, Memories and Stories of the Gulan Revolution between the years (176-1989), Kurdistan Printing House – Zakho, 2007.
2- Masoud Barzani: Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, Roxana Printing House, 2021.
[1] Masoud Barzani: Barzani and the Kurdish Liberation Movement, Volume Four, 1975-1990 Gulan Revolution, Part Two, First Edition, Roxana Printing House, 2021, p. 9-10.
[2] Kurdistan Democratic Party Encyclopedia Committee: History of the Kurdistan Democratic Party – Congress and Conference (Program and Internal Regulations), Volume One, First Edition, Rojhalat Printing House, 2021, p. 369.
[3] Haji Mirxan Dolamari: Searching for Justice, Volume Two, Second Edition, Kurdistan – 2021, p. 252.
[4] Muhammad Murad: Khabata Chia, Memories and Stories of the Gulan Revolution between the years (176-1989), Kurdistan Printing House – Zakho, 2007, p. 118.