Anfal 1: The Beginning of a Tragedy
The first stage of the Anfal Campaign, conducted between 23 February and 18 March 1988, commenced with a ferocity that foreshadowed the horrors to come. In the early hours of 23 February, the tranquility of the Kurdish countryside was shattered by the thunderous booms of artillery and the ominous whine of incoming air strikes.
Vivid Visuals of the Scenes
Under the cover of darkness, Iraqi forces launched a relentless barrage, lighting up the night sky with explosions that cast eerie shadows over the rugged terrain. The initial strikes targeted key positions in the Jafali Valley, home to the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) headquarters near the Iranian border, as well as command centers in Sargallu and Bargallu. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burning as buildings crumbled under the assault, and the once-quiet valley echoed with the sounds of war.
Several hours into the onslaught, ground forces advanced, meeting fierce resistance from the peshmerga fighters who were determined to defend their homeland. The battles raged across a vast theater encompassing approximately 1,154 square kilometers (445 square miles), transforming serene villages into battlegrounds. The peshmerga, skilled in guerrilla warfare, engaged in desperate, close-quarter combat amidst the mountainous terrain, their determination and bravery starkly contrasted by the overwhelming firepower of the Iraqi forces.
Chemical Attacks on Villages
As the battles intensified, the villages of Gwezeela, Chalawi, Haladin, and Yakhsamar experienced a new horror. Poison gas attacks turned the air itself into a weapon. The silent, creeping clouds of toxic chemicals infiltrated homes, schools, and places of worship, leaving devastation in their wake. Villagers, caught unaware, were engulfed by the invisible poison. Families collapsed where they stood, overcome by the searing pain in their lungs and the blistering of their skin. The streets, once filled with the daily bustle of life, became scenes of chaotic desperation, with people stumbling, gasping for breath, and ultimately succumbing to the lethal fumes.
The Capture and Retaliation in Halabja
In mid-March, a significant development unfolded as the PUK, in alliance with Iranian troops and other Kurdish factions, managed to capture the town of Halabja. This strategic victory, however, provoked a horrific retaliation. On 16 March 1988, Halabja became the site of one of the most infamous chemical attacks in history. Iraqi aircraft dropped canisters filled with a lethal cocktail of mustard gas and nerve agents over the town.
The aftermath was apocalyptic. The attack claimed the lives of several thousand Kurdish civilians, many of them women and children. The streets were littered with bodies—men, women, and children who had tried in vain to escape the toxic onslaught. The survivors, those who managed to find a momentary respite from the gas, faced severe burns, blindness, and long-term health complications. The town of Halabja, once a vibrant community, was reduced to a haunting tableau of death and despair.
Conclusion
The first stage of the Anfal Campaign set a grim precedent for the brutality that was to follow. The calculated use of artillery, air strikes, and chemical weapons against the Kurdish population illustrated the extreme measures Saddam Hussein’s regime was willing to employ to crush resistance. The harrowing scenes of destruction and death during this phase left an indelible mark on the Kurdish people, encapsulating the profound suffering and resilience that would come to define their collective memory of Anfal.
Bron: Fragment uit het boek Crimes against the Kurds – Boek 1
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