Remembering the Martyrs of Kheli Hama Village

PUKMEDIA

Kheli Hama Martyrs.

Twenty-four years ago today, the village of Kheli Hama in the Sharazur district of Sulaymaniyah Governorate was the site of a brutal terrorist attack carried out by Jund al-Islam and Ansar al-Islam.

In an act of extreme violence and total disregard for human life, 43 courageous Peshmerga fighters of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) lost their lives, with their bodies desecrated in the aftermath. The assault occurred just twelve days after the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States, compounding the shock felt both locally and internationally.

Less than two years later, as part of the international campaign against terrorism and the broader efforts to liberate Iraq, terrorist hideouts in the region were targeted and destroyed by missiles launched from the Mediterranean. Peshmerga forces then undertook operations to cleanse the area, successfully driving out the terrorists and reclaiming the territory.

The events at Kheli Hama remain a stark reminder of the sacrifices made by the Peshmerga in the fight against terrorism and their continued commitment to protecting the people and territory of the Kurdistan Region.



PUKMEDIA