Battle of Zirne
| Battle of Zirne | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of Sayfo / World War I in the Hakkari highlands | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Assyrian tribal defenders (incl. Baz supporters) | Kurdish tribal coalition led by Suto Agha of Oramar | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Local Assyrian leaders (names not uniformly recorded) | Suto Agha (of Oramar) | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown; traditional weaponry | Unknown; modern rifles, machine guns and artillery | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| ≈ 70 killed in the battle at Zirne[1] | Unknown | ||||||
The Battle of Zirne was a clash during the Assyrian genocide in 1915, when Suto Agha of Oramar led Kurdish tribal forces in an attack on the Assyrian main settlement of Zirne in the Hakkari region of the Ottoman Empire. Despite assistance from the Baz tribe, the Assyrians lost about 70 people in the fighting at Zirne.[1]
Background
By early 1915, the Hakkari highlands saw coordinated Kurdish tribal operations alongside Ottoman authorities against Assyrian districts such as Jilu, Dez and Baz.[2] Within this context, Suto Agha of Oramar emerged as a principal actor attacking Assyrian settlements in eastern Hakkari.[1]
Battle
According to Gaunt, Suto Agha and allied Kurdish tribes attacked the Assyrian main settlement of Zirne. Reinforced by elements of the Baz tribe, the Assyrian side nevertheless suffered approximately 70 fatalities in the engagement, and the attackers pressed on against nearby villages.[1]
Aftermath
Following the action at Zirne, Suto Agha’s forces continued to attack and destroy other Assyrian villages, with losses described as “enormous” in the sources cited.[1] The attack formed part of the broader wartime violence and displacement of Assyrians from Hakkari in 1915.[3]
See also
Hakkari (historical region) Baz (tribe) Sayfo
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Gaunt, David; Atto, Naures; Barthoma, Soner O. (2006). Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim–Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. Search this book on
- ↑ "Sayfo". Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ↑ "Hakkari (historical region)". Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
References
Gaunt, David; Atto, Naures; Barthoma, Soner O. (2006). Massacres, Resistance, Protectors: Muslim–Christian Relations in Eastern Anatolia during World War I. Piscataway, NJ: Gorgias Press. Search this book on
"Sayfo". Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
"Baz (tribe)". Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
"Hakkari (historical region)". Wikipedia. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
