PUK insurgency

PUK insurgency
Part of the Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
Date1975–1979
Location
Iraqi Kurdistan (nominally northern Iraq)
Result

Long-term Iraqi strategic victory

Belligerents
Iraq Iraq PUK KDP
Commanders and leaders
Iraq Saddam Hussein Jalal Talabani
Nawshirwan Mustafa
Ali Askari  
Mustafa Barzani
Massoud Barzani
Strength
30,000 55,000
Casualties and losses
unknown 16,000 killed
Total: 1,000+ killed

The PUK insurgency was a low-level rebellion of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) against Baathist Iraq from 1975 to 1979, following the defeat of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the Second Iraqi–Kurdish War, which forced that organization to declare a ceasefire and move into exile in Iran. Due to lack of foreign support, the PUK guerrillas were only able to operate in the most remote parts of the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.[1] During this period, the PUK plunged into a political crisis with the KDP, which led to heavy intra-Kurdish warfare, climaxing in 1977. After the insurgency, the PUK entered into an alliance with Iranian forces during the Iran–Iraq War, and were backed by Iran in the Kurdish rebellion of 1983.

  1. ^ Galbraith, Peter (2006), The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created a War without End. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 0-7432-9423-8