Halabja Massacre: Tragic Chapter in Kurdish History

The historical landscape of Kurdistan is marred by a series of massacres that have targeted the Kurdish people for generations. From the Zilan Valley Massacre to the tragedies of Mahabad and Amuda, and more recently, the atrocities in Sinjar, Afrin, and Serekaniye, these events are but a fraction of the systematic genocidal campaigns waged against the Kurds. This long history of persecution reached its peak under Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq, which deployed chemical weapons against civilians in Halabja, resulting in the deaths of thousands.

Wound that Will Not Heal

On the morning of Friday, March 16, 1988, an eerie silence enveloped the Kurdish city of Halabja until 11:30 a.m., when it was shattered by the roar of Iraqi warplanes. For five hours, the city was subjected to relentless chemical bombardment, killing nearly 5,000 people—many of them women and children—and leaving between 7,000 and 10,000 others with severe injuries.

The suffering did not end with the immediate attack. In the following days and months, thousands more perished due to complications from exposure to the toxic gases. Additionally, more than 400 Kurdish children went missing after being transferred to Iranian hospitals, and their fate remains unknown to this day.

Saddam Hussein’s regime sought to justify this atrocity by citing the presence of Iranian forces near Halabja. However, the attack was part of the broader Anfal campaign, which lasted from 1986 to 1989 and claimed the lives of at least 180,000 Kurds.

A Century of Massacres

The Halabja Massacre was but one chapter in a long and painful history of Kurdish persecution. On July 13, 1930, more than 15,000 Kurds were massacred in the Zilan Valley after seeking refuge from state repression. On November 13, 1960, a fire in the Amuda cinema claimed the lives of more than 280 Kurdish schoolchildren.

Other parts of Kurdistan have witnessed similar tragedies, including the forced displacement of the Botan region’s residents in 1994, which resulted in many Kurdish families resettling in the Makhmour refugee camp, where numerous children perished during the harsh journey. Additionally, the massacres of Tel Aran and Tel Hasel in northern Syria in 2013—facilitated by the Syrian government and Turkish intelligence—led to the deaths of approximately 30 Kurds.

The Genocide of the 21st Century

On August 3, 2014, Kurdistan witnessed one of the most horrific acts of genocide in the 21st century when ISIS launched a large-scale assault on the Sinjar region, targeting the Yazidi community.

With direct support and guidance from Turkish intelligence, ISIS militants swiftly overran Sinjar, aided by the withdrawal of the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Peshmerga forces. The attack resulted in the massacre of over 6,000 Yazidis and the abduction of 6,417 others, most of whom were women and children.

The captives endured unspeakable horrors, with women being sold in slave markets and men and children subjected to torture and execution. Entire Yazidi villages were wiped off the map, and their sacred sites were desecrated.

Although Sinjar was later liberated through joint efforts by the Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ) and the People's Defense Forces (HPG), the scars of this genocide remain deeply embedded in the collective memory of the Kurdish people.

 Afrin, Serekaniye, and Girê Spî: Ongoing Violations and Demographic Changes

In 2018, the Turkish occupying state launched a large-scale military offensive against the Afrin, beginning with intense aerial bombardment followed by a ground invasion involving Turkish-backed mercenary groups. This offensive resulted in the occupation of Afrin and the forced displacement of more than 300,000 Kurdish residents.

Afrin was subjected to systematic looting and destruction, with homes, public infrastructure, and private property targeted. The demographic composition of the region was deliberately altered through the settlement of families affiliated with Turkish-backed groups in the homes of displaced Kurdish residents.

The 2019 Offensive on Serekaniye and Girê Spî

A similar scenario unfolded in 2019 in the cities of Serekaniye (Ras al-Ain) and Girê Spî (Tal Abyad), where another Turkish military incursion led to the deaths of dozens of civilians and the displacement of more than 300,000 people. Both cities were occupied, and their demographic and cultural landscapes were forcibly changed.

Escalation of Turkish Aggression: Ongoing Atrocities in NE  Syria

Turkey's attacks on NE Syria have continued unabated. In the months preceding the collapse of the Ba’athist regime’s authority in Syria, Turkish forces carried out sustained aerial and ground assaults, resulting in multiple massacres against civilians. One of the most notable incidents was the Swediya Massacre, in which seven power plant workers lost their lives on October 23, 2023.

Since December 7, 2024, Turkish forces and their allied mercenaries have launched an intense aerial and ground assault targeting critical areas in northern and eastern Syria, including Manbij, the Tishrin Dam, and the Qaraqozak Bridge. Despite the use of warplanes, drones, tanks, and artillery, Turkish forces have failed to advance or capture any villages or strategic points due to the heroic resistance of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and popular resistance groups.

Faced with military setbacks, Turkish forces and their gangs have resorted to mass killings of civilians. Since the beginning of the offensive, several massacres have been documented in villages in the countryside of Kobanî and Sirîn.

According to records from the Health Authority of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, Turkish attacks between December 2024 and February 2025 resulted in the deaths of 82 civilians and injuries to more than 250 others, the majority of whom were women and children. Additionally, dozens of homes, farms, and key infrastructure sites were destroyed, exacerbating the suffering of the local population.

Massacres in Kurdish History

Beyond the recent attacks, the Kurdish people have suffered numerous historical massacres, including:

The Dersim Massacre (1937–1938): In Dersim (northern Kurdistan), the Turkish government launched a massive military campaign against the Kurdish Alevi population, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands and the destruction of hundreds of villages. This campaign has been described as one of the most brutal acts of ethnic cleansing in modern Turkish history.

The Mahabad Massacre (1947): Following the short-lived Republic of Mahabad in eastern Kurdistan in 1946, the Iranian authorities executed its leaders, including Qazi Muhammad, in a public square in Mahabad.

The Rojhelat Massacre (1989): In Iran, government forces violently suppressed Kurdish demonstrations in the Rojhelat region, killing dozens of protesters.

The Qamishlo Massacre (2004): On March 12, 2004, an uprising in Qamishlo spread to several cities and reached Damascus. The Ba’athist security forces violently cracked down on the protests, resulting in the deaths of 38 Kurdish civilians.

The Halabja Genocide: Cry Against Oblivion

Every year, on March 16 at 11:00 AM, the Kurdish people observe a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims of the Halabja genocide. Images such as that of Omar Khawar, embracing his infant child and wife amid the gas attack, remain powerful symbols of this tragedy.

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ANHA