Draft:Battle of Gora Tu

Battle of Gora Tu
Part of the Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
Date 1943 – October 1945 Location Northern Iraq Result Kurdish Victory Kurdish Barzani forces achieved victories
Belligerents
Kingdom of Iraq	Barzani tribesmen Allied Kurdish tribes
Commanders and leaders
Prince Abdullah Nuri al-Said Hamdi al-Pachachi	Mustafa Barzani Ahmed Barzani Mohammedamin Mirkhan Mergasory
Strength
Unknown	2,000 (1943) 3,000 (1945)

The Battle of Gora Tu was a Throughout 1943, Barzani and his fighters seized police stations and re-supplied themselves with Iraqi arms and ammunition.[1] Once levels of command were created, Barzani established his headquarters in Bistri, a village halfway between his Rawanduz and Barzan forces.[1] Barzani's forces achieved victories in the Battle of Gora Tu and the Battle of Mazna.[1] During these battles, Barzani forces were able to defeat trained, organized, and well-supplied Iraqi army units.[1]

First phase of insurrection edit After receiving permission from Shaykh Ahmad Barzani, Mulla Mustafa, along with two close associates, fled Sulaymaniya and crossed into Iran. Once in the Iranian town of Shino, Barzani reunited with resettled members of the Barzani tribe and made his way to Barzan. Upon his return, Mulla Mustafa became "the immediate object of attention from his own followers, the chiefs of neighboring tribes, Iraqi government officials who wished to reintern him, and members of the Kurdish nationalist movement". This latter group included Mir Hajj Ahmad and Mustafa Krushnaw, Kurdish officers in the Iraqi army and members of Hiwa, an underground Kurdish nationalist movement. Upon his return to Barzan, Mulla Mustafa recruited a force to challenge regional Iraqi authority. Numbering nearly 750 in only two weeks, Barzani fighters began small operations such as raiding police stations and frontier posts. These early raids demonstrated the growing military organization of Barzani's forces. Although still mostly tribal, enrollment in Barzani's force grew to nearly 2,000 within months as local Kurds, including those deserting the Iraqi army, joined the ranks. In order to organize this growing force, Barzani created combat groups of 15-30 men; appointed Muhammad Amin Mirkhan, Mamand Maseeh, and Saleh Kaniya Lanji commanders; and instilled strict rules of soldierly conduct. Throughout 1943, Barzani and his fighters seized police stations and re-supplied themselves with Iraqi arms and ammunition. Once levels of command were created, Barzani established his headquarters in Bistri, a village halfway between his Rawanduz and Barzan forces. Barzani's forces achieved victories in the Battle of Gora Tu and the Battle of Mazna. During these battles, Barzani forces were able to defeat trained, organized, and well-supplied Iraqi army units. 185.240.17.156 (talk) 16:50, 19 September 2024 (UTC)