10 March Marks Anniversary of the Uprising in Khurmatu and Areas of Erbil in 1991

PUKMEDIA

1991 Kurdish uprising.

Today, 10 March 2026, marks the anniversary of the uprising that spread to Tuz Khurmatu district and vast areas of Erbil Governorate in 1991, led by the Peshmerga of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) against the Ba’ath dictatorship.

With direct support and assistance from the PUK, the people of Tuz Khurmatu joined the wave of uprisings that swept across Kurdish cities against the former regime and its brutal rule. Within a short time, they succeeded in liberating the district and raising the Kurdistan flag over security institutions after security forces and army units stationed there fled, leaving behind their weapons and ammunition.

The people of Tuz Khurmatu—young and old, men and women—resisted the military attacks launched by the regime’s forces in attempts to retake the district. Despite repeated offensives, those attempts failed, and the city remained free under the protection of the Peshmerga and the revolutionaries who sacrificed greatly to end Ba’athist rule.

Following the liberation of Koya, Shaqlawa and Kifri on 9 March 1991, the uprising spread further on 10 March to several areas in Erbil Governorate, including Salahaddin Resort, Taq Taq, Rawanduz, Harir, Haji Omran and Mergasur.

The momentum of the uprising continued, leading to the liberation of the cities of Khanaqin and Erbil on 11 March.

The Kurdish people’s uprising that began on 5 March 1991, against the dictatorship and oppression that prevailed under the rule of the fallen Ba'ath Party. It was culminated on 20 March 1991 with the liberation of Kirkuk.

The uprising came after a series of genocidal campaigns carried out by the fallen Ba'ath regime. Among the most notorious were the Anfal campaign and the Halabja chemical attack, during which more than 180,000 innocent Kurds—including women, children and the elderly—were killed.



PUKMEDIA