Sinjarist/Battle of Mount Handrin
The Battle of Mount Handrin was fought in 1966 during the First Iraqi-Kurdish war between Kurdish forces led by Mustafa Barzani and the Iraqi Army east of Rawandiz. It was the most significant defeat suffered by Iraqi forces.
| Battle of Mount Handrin | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of First Iraqi–Kurdish War | |||||||
| File:Mustafa Barzani and Uri Sagi.jpg Mustafa Barzani and Uri Sagi after the battle (Idris Barzani on the far right) | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 KDP | File:Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg Iraq | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Mustafa Barzani Uri Sagi | File:Flag of Iraq (1963-1991).svg Abdul Rahman Arif | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
“Thousands” of Peshmerga[1] 1,000 soldiers under the command of Uri Sagi | 4th and 2nd Brigade | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown |
2,000 or more killed Entire 4th Brigade destroyed | ||||||
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.[2][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 around 2,000 killed. Those who retreated left behind heavy equipment and withdrew over the mountains. Some units surrendered, while others deserted after reaching safety. The defeat at Mount Handrin brought the 1966 Iraqi offensive to a halt.[5]
It was the most significant defeat suffered by Iraqi forces. 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.[6]
| “ | “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.” | ” |
| — Uri Sagi[7] | ||
Aftermath
Following the defeat, the Iraqi government moved toward negotiations with Kurdish leadership.[2] 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.[8]
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 (i.e., the Peshmerga);
- Relief and economic assistance;
- Resettlement of Kurds and others in their traditional locales.
References
- ↑ Connable, Ben (2025-03-03). Ground Combat: Puncturing the Myths of Modern War. Georgetown University Press. pp. 132, chapter 5. ISBN 978-1-64712-543-1. Search this book on
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Zedalis, Rex J. (2012-05-16). Oil and Gas in the Disputed Kurdish Territories: Jurisprudence, Regional Minorities and Natural Resources in a Federal System. Routledge. p. 12. ISBN 978-1-136-30025-7. Search this book on
- ↑ Bertelsen, Judy (1977). Nonstate Nations in International Politics: Comparative System Analyses. Praeger Publishers. p. 75. ISBN 978-0-275-56320-2. Search this book on
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Gibson, Bryan R. (2016-04-29). Sold Out? US Foreign Policy, Iraq, the Kurds, and the Cold War. Springer. pp. 96–97. ISBN 978-1-137-51715-9. Search this book on
- ↑ Pollack, Kenneth Michael (2002). Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948-1991. University of Nebraska Press. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-8032-3733-9. Search this book on
- ↑ Malovany, Pesach (2017-07-21). Wars of Modern Babylon: A History of the Iraqi Army from 1921 to 2003. University Press of Kentucky. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-8131-6944-6. Search this book on
- ↑ Galula, Natan. "Legendary Israeli general: Time to take out Iran's leadership". Israel Today. Retrieved 2026-05-05.
- ↑ Reisinezhad, Arash (2018-07-06). The Shah of Iran, the Iraqi Kurds, and the Lebanese Shia. Springer. p. 130. ISBN 978-3-319-89947-3. Search this book on
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