Battle of Mount Handrin
1966 battle during the First Iraqi Kurdish War
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The Battle of Mount Handrin, or the Mount Handrin ambush,[9] was fought in 1966 during the First Iraqi-Kurdish war between Kurdish forces led by Mustafa Barzani and the Iraqi Army and pro-government Kurds between Rawandiz and the Iranian frontier.[10] It was one of the most significant defeat suffered by Iraqi forces.[11]
| Battle of Mount Handrin | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of First Iraqi–Kurdish War | |||||||
Left to right: Tsuri Sagi, Mustafa Barzani, and Idris Barzani after the battle | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 Peshmerga |
 IraqKurdish collaborators | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 Mustafa Barzani Tsuri Sagi Idris Barzani[1] |
Abdul Aziz al-Uqaili | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
“Thousands” of Peshmerga[2] 1,000 soldiers according to Uri Sagi | 4th and 2nd Brigade | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown |
1,400-5,000 killed[a] Entire 4th Brigade killed 980 rifles captured (according to Barzani) | ||||||
Background
In April 1966, Iraqi President Abdul Salam Arif was killed in a helicopter crash, after which his brother, Abdul Rahman Arif, took power. Following this transition, the Iraqi government resumed military action against Kurdish forces led by Mullah Mustafa Barzani.[12][13] Iraq launched an offensive against the Kurds, deploying more than 40,000 troops and 100 aircraft. Iraqi forces initially captured the Rawandiz Gorge.[14] The Iraqi units on Mount Handrin were commanded by Abdul Aziz al-Uqaili.[15]
After several days of fighting the Kurdish defense positions began to collapse. An ammunition convoy from Iran took the wrong route and never arrived. Things looked bad for the Kurdish forces. Due to this the IDF commander Sagi received an order from Israel to return home, although he refused it.[3]
Battle
The Iraqi force’s initially made progress, securing the Rawanduz Gorge and advancing to capture Mount Handrin and Mount Zozik. However, Iraqi forces established their camp in the valley between the two mountains while leaving the surrounding high ground undefended. Barzani took advantage of this and quickly moved his forces to Mount Handrin. In the early hours, Sagy ordered a group of Peshmerga holding the front line to carry out a tactical withdrawal, leaving a gap in the lines. Iraqi forces advanced through the opening, believing they had achieved a breakthrough. However, they did not secure the surrounding high ground, where Kurdish fighters had taken concealed positions. Kurdish forces then launched an attack from the heights above, striking several Iraqi battalions.[4]
In over two days of fighting, Iraqi forces suffered heavy casualties. Those who retreated left behind heavy equipment and withdrew over the mountains. Some units surrendered, while others deserted after reaching safety.[5] The 5,000-man Iraqi brigade was wiped out. Mr. Sagi recalls Iraqi officers driving up in two jeeps waving white flags to surrender.[8] The attack involved the use of mortars and artillery. With soldiers fleeing their positions. And many soldiers deserting, including some who defected to the Kurdish side.[11]
Iranian sources also claimed that several Iraqi MiG aircraft had been driven back by Iranian anti-aircraft fire, after violating Iranian air space. Some witnesses claimed to have seen an Iraqi aircraft shot down by the Kurds, but there was no confirmation of this.[9]
The battle came to an end when Iraqi officers came to the Kurdish forces waving white flags to surrender.[16] Several Iraqi army platoons had surrendered.[17]: 84
The defeat at Mount Handrin brought the entire 1966 Iraqi offensive to a halt.[5] One report stated that while the Iraqi offensive had been called off the Kurds were still mobile, retaining their initiative. It went on to say that in the fighting at Mount Handrin several Iraqi army platoons had surrendered and that both military and civilian hospitals were filled with military casualties.[6]
Aftermath
The Baghdad authorities rushed out false information, alleging the “rebels had suffered a severe defeat” and that only a few pockets of resistance remained. Barzani at first not seeming to realise the publicity value of his tactical victory. It was not until 21 May that he issued a press release over his new Radio Kurdistan, claiming that “two army units had been surrounded on 11 and 12 May, and had lost 1000 killed” and that he had captured “980 rifles, six guns and large quantities of ammunition”.[6]: 83 The defeat deterred Baghdad from engaging in major operations in Northern Iraq for the next two years.[18]
Twelve-Point Plan
Following the defeat, the Iraqi government moved toward negotiations with Kurdish leadership.[12] After several weeks of talks, the Iraqi Prime Minister announced a “Twelve-Point Plan,” known as the Bazzaz Declaration, on 29 June 1966. The plan addressed a number of Kurdish demands and was accepted by Barzani. However, the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Sixth Congress indicated that Kurdish leaders would continue to press for autonomy later in 1966. The declaration was also welcomed by the United States.[3] It was not implemented however, due to his overthrow by the Ba’ath Party in 1968.[19]
The agreement included:[4]
- Recognition of Kurdish national rights
- Administrative decentralization to give effect to these rights
- Recognition of Kurdish as an official language
- Kurdish representation in parliament
- A Kurdish share of official positions
- Scholarships for Kurds and the establishment of a university branch in the north
- Appointment of Kurdish local government officials
- Recognition of Kurdish political organizations
- Amnesty for Kurds
- Return of Kurdish guerrillas to previous posts, with some retained in an approved organization
- Relief and economic assistance
- Resettlement of Kurds and others in their traditional locales.
Legacy
An Iraqi unit had not suffered a defeat of this scale by the Kurds until 1995 during the Iraqi Kurdish civil War,[20] When two brigades of the Iraqi 38th Infantry Division were pushed out of the city of Erbil by a large number of Kurdish forces.[21]
“So I planned to trap this brigade on Mount Handrin. I ordered a Kurdish battalion to retreat four kilometers into the mountains. It was not easy to persuade these proud fighters to retreat … but in the end, they obliged. My attacking force of 1,000 men hid in two sideway channels. The Iraqi brigade took the bait and charged forward. It was hit on all sides. In one hour, the 4th Brigade was gone.”
— Tsuri Sagi[7]