1991 Uprising in As Sulaymaniyah
Encyclopedia
The 1991 Uprising in As Sulaymaniyah or Silêmanî was one of biggest 1991 uprisings in Iraq
. As Sulaymaniyah, a Kurd
ish city of over 100,000 population was the first Iraqi city to be captured by rebels and the last one to fall.
heavily damaged the Iraqi military and an uprising began in Southern Iraq. After Jash
(Kurdish militia used by Saddam Hussein's regime to fight Peshmerga) deserters, seized control of the city of Raniya with support of the local population, many of which turned into overnight Peshmerga
. The revolutionary feeling spread to the rest of Kurdistan, were people took to the streets and Peshmerga entered the cities and seized control of Raniya, Chawar Qurna, Koi-Sanjaq, Sulaymaniya, Halabja, Arbat, Arbil, Duhuk, Zahku, and Kirkuk.
The last and biggest point of resistance by the Iraqi security forces was the Security Directorate, at the heavily fortified building. Ba'athist forces fought off the Kurds for over 48 hours after which Kurdish Peshmerga and rioters entered the building, by 8 March the entire city was under rebel control. Many Ba'athists which were captured were torn to pieces, alive, by the angry crowds, others were burned or cut to pieces with saws. An estimated 700 security Ba'athists were killed in such executions by the people, however regular soldiers were mostly pardoned and were allowed to return home.
On March 31, the government offensive started. The city was attacked from the West and the neighbourhoods of Bakhtiari and Rizjari were hit by heavy shelling and by helicopter bombings. By April 2, Peshmerga called on the civilians to evacuate the town and flee North before the military entered. By April 3 the military took control of the city, which had turned into a ghost town as all civilians had fled in fear of government reprisals. The city therefore also remained relatively intact, although it was hit by heavy looting by both refugees before they fled and Iraqi soldiers.
and As Sulaymaniyah. By October 1991 a cease-fire was signed, the government leaving the Peshmerga in control of some 16,000 km² of Iraqi land. This area became a de-facto Kurdish state within Iraq and was completely blockaded by Saddam Hussein and cut off from the rest of the country.
1991 uprisings in Iraq
The 1991 uprisings in Iraq were a series of anti-governmental rebellions in southern and northern Iraq during the aftermath of the Gulf War. The revolt was fueled by the perception that the power of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was vulnerable at the time; as well as by heavily fueled anger at...
. As Sulaymaniyah, a Kurd
Kürd
Kürd or Kyurd or Kyurt may refer to:*Kürd Eldarbəyli, Azerbaijan*Kürd Mahrızlı, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Goychay, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Jalilabad, Azerbaijan*Kürd, Qabala, Azerbaijan*Qurdbayram, Azerbaijan...
ish city of over 100,000 population was the first Iraqi city to be captured by rebels and the last one to fall.
Prelude
Since the autonomy agreement collapsed in 1974 Kurds had been fighting an armed insurgency against Saddam's regime. After the Gulf WarGulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
heavily damaged the Iraqi military and an uprising began in Southern Iraq. After Jash
Jash
Jash , or fursan is a type of collaborator, usually a military unit composed of people of Kurdish descent that cooperates with enemy combatants against the Kurdish army, Kurdish rebels, or the Kurdish civilian population...
(Kurdish militia used by Saddam Hussein's regime to fight Peshmerga) deserters, seized control of the city of Raniya with support of the local population, many of which turned into overnight Peshmerga
Peshmerga
Peshmerga or Peshmerge is the term used by Kurds to refer to armed Kurdish fighters. Literally meaning "those who face death" the Peshmerga forces of Kurdistan have been in existence since the advent of the Kurdish independence movement in the early 1920s, following the collapse of the Ottoman...
. The revolutionary feeling spread to the rest of Kurdistan, were people took to the streets and Peshmerga entered the cities and seized control of Raniya, Chawar Qurna, Koi-Sanjaq, Sulaymaniya, Halabja, Arbat, Arbil, Duhuk, Zahku, and Kirkuk.
Peshmerga offensive
The uprising started on March 7 as lightly armed Peshmerga entered the city and oustered government forces. The Peshmerga were joined by local civilians who took the streets and helped the Peshmerga launch a mass-assault on all government buildings and detention centers, freeing hundreds of political prisoners. A Kurdish teacher of English was quoted as saying: "the Peshmerga and their supporters took three hundred Baathist prisoners...We punished those who had martyred our brothers and looted our homes. We killed them without trial....During the first days after the Peshmerga took over, some escaped. We caught many and killed them by shooting them and with axes. The mothers of martyrs killed twenty-one escaping soldiers with axes and stones."The last and biggest point of resistance by the Iraqi security forces was the Security Directorate, at the heavily fortified building. Ba'athist forces fought off the Kurds for over 48 hours after which Kurdish Peshmerga and rioters entered the building, by 8 March the entire city was under rebel control. Many Ba'athists which were captured were torn to pieces, alive, by the angry crowds, others were burned or cut to pieces with saws. An estimated 700 security Ba'athists were killed in such executions by the people, however regular soldiers were mostly pardoned and were allowed to return home.
Government counteroffensive
After the defeat of rebels in the South and the fall of all Southern cities to Iraqi security forces, the Iraqi government turned North were they deployed aircraft, heavy artillery and tanks to confront the Peshmerga. With food shortage and no international backing many part-time Peshmerga fighters fled North and left outmanned and outgunned many Peshmerga and ex-Jash fighters surrandered to the government. As the remaining Peshmerga abandoned their positions and moved Northwards the Iraqi army took control of all other major cities and eventually reached As Sulaymaniyah.On March 31, the government offensive started. The city was attacked from the West and the neighbourhoods of Bakhtiari and Rizjari were hit by heavy shelling and by helicopter bombings. By April 2, Peshmerga called on the civilians to evacuate the town and flee North before the military entered. By April 3 the military took control of the city, which had turned into a ghost town as all civilians had fled in fear of government reprisals. The city therefore also remained relatively intact, although it was hit by heavy looting by both refugees before they fled and Iraqi soldiers.
Aftermath
After many Kurds had returned to their homes, in July the Peshmerga decided to confront the Iraqi Army again. On 20 July 1991 the KDP and PUK Peshmerga launched a joint assault on the cities of ArbilArbil
Arbil / Hewlêr is the fourth largest city in Iraq after Baghdad, Basra and Mosul...
and As Sulaymaniyah. By October 1991 a cease-fire was signed, the government leaving the Peshmerga in control of some 16,000 km² of Iraqi land. This area became a de-facto Kurdish state within Iraq and was completely blockaded by Saddam Hussein and cut off from the rest of the country.
See also
- 1991 Uprising in Karbala1991 Uprising in KarbalaThe Shiite Uprising in Karbala was one of many major points of unrest in Iraq following the Gulf War. The uprising started after demoralized troops throughout Iraq began to rebel against Saddam Hussein. From March 5 to March 19, 1991, the city of Karbala became chaotic battlefield between the...
- Kurdish Rebellion of 1983Kurdish Rebellion of 1983The Kurdish Rebellion of 1983 occurred during the Iran-Iraq war as Kurds of northern Iraq rebelled against Saddam Hussein, in an attempt to form their own autonomous country. The most violent stage of this rebellion was the al-Anfal campaign of the Iraqi Army against the Kurdish minority, which...
- Al-Anfal campaignAl-Anfal CampaignThe al-Anfal Campaign , also known as Operation Anfal or simply Anfal, was a genocidal campaign against the Kurdish people in Northern Iraq, led by the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein and headed by Ali Hassan al-Majid in the final stages of Iran-Iraq War...
- List of conflicts in the Middle East