Qasre Massacre
| Qasre Massacre 1999 | |
|---|---|
| Part of Assyrian–Kurdish conflict | |
| Location | Qasre, near Haji Omran, Erbil Governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan |
| Date | 17–20 July 1999 |
| Target | KDP Peshmerga personnel |
Attack type | Massacre, bombing, armed assault |
| Weapons | Firearms, explosives, car bomb |
| Deaths | 39+ |
| Injured | 20+ |
| Perpetrators | Bethnahrin Freedom Party (PROB), linked to Dawronoye movement |
| Motive | Retaliation for the rape and murder of Helene Aloun Sawa (Assyrian civilian) |
Between 17 and 20 July 1999, the Assyrian forces of PROB (Later MUB) attacked the town of Qasre in Erbil Governorate, Iraq, killing over 39 Peshmerga KDP supporters, and injuring over 20, while also bombing vehicles. This was done as an act of retaliation for the raping and murder of 21-year-old Assyrian woman Helen Aloun Sawa.[1][2]
Massacre
[edit]On July 17, 1999, the PROB and PKK attacked Qasre.[2] They killed over 39 Peshmarga KDP supporters, and injured at least 20. A second attack, carried out three days later on July 20, targeted a KDP military transport vehicle on a bridge between Kasre and Hajji Umran, causing additional casualties and strategic disruption.[1][2] The attacks highlighted a rare instance of Assyrian-Kurdish armed cooperation (via Dawronoye and PKK) against another Kurdish faction. The KDP condemned the attacks, labeling them terrorism and intensifying crackdowns on Dawronoye-affiliated individuals and sympathizers.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "RFE/RL iraq Report". www.globalsecurity.org. 1999-08-06.
- ^ a b c "The Revolutionaries of Bethnahrin". Warscapes.