Peshmerga Commanders Recall 2017 Sihela Battle Nine Years On
On the ninth anniversary of the Battle of Sihela, Peshmerga commanders recall the 2017 clash with Iraqi and PMF forces and the 22 Peshmerga martyred.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Kurdistan Peshmerga commanders marked the ninth anniversary of the Battle of Sihela on Monday, Oct. 26, recalling how Kurdish forces resisted an advance by Iraqi troops and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters during the armed confrontations of October 2017.
The fighting took place on Oct. 26, 2017, when Iraqi forces and PMF fighters launched an attack on Peshmerga positions along the Sihela front. Commanders interviewed by Kurdistan24 described how Kurdish forces halted the offensive despite the scale of the attacking force and its military equipment.
The anniversary recalls a period when control over territory and the security of the Kurdistan Region were at the center of confrontations between Peshmerga forces and Iraqi troops. For those who participated in the battle, Sihela remains closely associated with the defense of the Kurdistan Region and the Peshmerga who lost their lives.
Sheikh Ali Gali Romani, commander of the Peshmerga's Western Tigris Front, told Kurdistan24 correspondent Bewar Hilmi that the offensive involved more than 30,000 personnel and 800 military vehicles deployed across approximately 50 kilometers.
According to Sheikh Ali, Peshmerga units resisted the advance and destroyed two Abrams tanks, along with several other military vehicles. He described the engagement as a major defeat for the attacking forces, which were ultimately prevented from advancing further into the Kurdistan Region.
Other commanders emphasized the cooperation among different Kurdish security formations during the confrontation.
Khalaf Kanjo, a Peshmerga brigade commander, said Peshmerga personnel, members of the Asayish internal security forces and other local forces fought alongside one another. He recalled that morale among the defenders remained exceptionally high despite the intensity of the assault.
Ibrahim Omar, a Peshmerga regiment commander, described how Kurdish forces launched a counterattack as Iraqi troops and PMF fighters moved toward their positions. He said Peshmerga fighters struck tanks and Humvees, disrupting the advance and forcing the attacking forces to withdraw.
According to Kurdistan24's anniversary account, 22 Peshmerga were martyred during the battle, while more than 250 members of the attacking forces reportedly lost their lives.
The reported casualty figures, the commanders' estimates of the attacking force's strength and the extent of equipment losses have not been independently corroborated. The anniversary reporting did not include a separate Iraqi government or PMF account of the engagement.
Among those remembered was Wahid Bakozi, a Peshmerga commander who was martyred during the defense of Sihela.
His son, Hoshang Wahid Bakozi, spoke about his father's legacy and the importance his family attaches to sacrifice in defense of Kurdistan.
"We too want to be martyred like our fathers and grandfathers," he told Kurdistan24, describing how the memory of his father's death continues to shape his understanding of service to the homeland.
The Sihela commemoration comes six days after the ninth anniversary of another confrontation at Pirde, where seven Peshmerga were martyred on Oct. 20, 2017, while resisting Iraqi forces and armed groups.
That battle followed the Iraqi military's takeover of Kirkuk and Khurmatu on Oct. 16, 2017. Peshmerga and Kurdish security forces prevented a further advance toward Erbil, according to Kurdistan24's reporting on the anniversary.
Families of the Peshmerga martyred at Pirde have used this year's commemoration to appeal for greater unity among Kurdish political parties.
Bakhtiar Azad, whose father, Azad Barakai, died during the Pirde fighting, called on political leaders to demonstrate the same collective commitment that Kurdish forces showed on the battlefield and to work together to protect the Kurdistan Region's constitutional status.
Read More: Families of Fallen Peshmerga Mark Pirde Battle With Call for Unity
Nine years after Sihela, Peshmerga forces remain deployed in their defensive positions, according to Kurdistan24's anniversary coverage. The commanders' recollections and the families' testimonies continue to preserve the memory of the October 2017 battles and those who died defending the Kurdistan Region.