Battle of Maidan Morik
| Battle of Maidan Morik | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Barzani revolt (1943–1945) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Kurdish Peshmerga |
Kingdom of Iraq Pro-government Kurdish tribes | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Mustafa Barzani Kako Mullah Ali Haji Berokhi |
Iraqi Army officers (unnamed) Various tribal leaders | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| ~3,000 fighters[1] | Several thousand troops, artillery, air support, tribal auxiliaries[2] | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown; several leaders wounded | Dozens killed or wounded (estimated) | ||||||
The Battle of Maidan Morik took place in September 1945 between Kurdish Peshmerga forces led by Mustafa Barzani and the Iraqi Army, supported by rival Kurdish tribal militias. It was one of the final battles of the Barzani revolt (1943–1945), which sought Kurdish autonomy in northern Iraq.
Background
In 1943, Barzani escaped exile and initiated a rebellion in the Barzan region. Over the next two years, he built a disciplined force of approximately 3,000 Peshmerga fighters.[3][1] The Iraqi government, seeking to suppress the rebellion, launched a major military campaign in late 1945, supported by airstrikes and rival Kurdish tribes such as the Zibari, Doski, and Berwari.[1]
The Battle
In September 1945, Iraqi forces advanced toward Maidan Morik from Aqra, Amadiya, and Rawanduz. Peshmerga fighters used guerrilla tactics and knowledge of the mountainous terrain to resist mechanized and artillery-supported assaults.[2] Airstrikes by the Iraqi Air Force failed to break Kurdish defenses. During the fighting, Barzani commanders Kako Mullah Ali and Haji Berokhi were wounded but continued to lead.[2]
Aftermath
Although Barzani's forces achieved a local tactical victory, Iraqi and tribal reinforcements soon overwhelmed the region. On 7 October 1945, Barzan was captured by Iraqi and tribal units.[3] Barzani and 500 of his fighters retreated into Iranian Kurdistan, where they joined the short-lived Republic of Mahabad in early 1946. Barzani became its military commander before fleeing to the Soviet Union after its collapse.[3]
Legacy
The battle became a symbol of Kurdish resistance and helped elevate Mustafa Barzani as a central figure in the Kurdish nationalist movement. Though the revolt failed, it led to the founding of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in 1946 and shaped Kurdish–Iraqi relations for decades.[2][1]
See also
References
This article "Battle of Maidan Morik" is from Simple English Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Battle of Maidan Morik.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 KRG Representation in Austria. "The Kurds in Iraq: A Chronological Overview." [1](https://austria.krg.org/) Accessed July 2025. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "krgchron" defined multiple times with different content - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Kurdistan Chronicle. "The Unforgettable Legacy of Mustafa Barzani." [2](https://kurdistanchronicle.com). Accessed July 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Mustafa al-Barzani." Encyclopædia Britannica. [3](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mustafa-al-Barzani). Accessed July 2025.
