On Thursday, President Masoud Barzani commemorated the 39th anniversary of the chemical attacks on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan. In a solemn statement, he reaffirmed that the profound suffering endured by the people of Kurdistan remains an indelible part of the national consciousness and vowed that these atrocities will never be forgotten.
Full message of President Masoud Barzani
“In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,
On April 16, 1987, the former Iraqi regime committed another crime against the Kurdish people by carrying out chemical bombardments on Balisan, Sheikh Wasanan, and the Khoshnawati valley.
This crime led to the martyrdom and injury of a large number of innocent civilians in the area.
This crime marked the beginning of a process of chemical attacks against civilian citizens and the continuation of a policy aimed at the eradication of our people.
The regime did not stop at that crime, and many of those injured in the tragedy were later arrested and brutally buried alive.
On the 39th anniversary of this inhumane crime, we send our greetings to the pure souls of the martyrs of this tragedy and express our condolences to their families and relatives.
The memory and pain of this crime, and all the tragedies that have befallen the people of Kurdistan, will never be forgotten.”
The statement of President Barzani, underscored the profound and enduring impact of the bombardment, describing it as an integral part of an organized offensive against the Kurdish population. He noted that such atrocities reflected a wider strategy aimed at the existential marginalization of the Kurdish people.