Shafaq News / Kurdistan Region President, Nechirvan Barzani, issued a statement on Sunday, marking the 36th anniversary of the chemical bombing carried out by the former Iraqi regime on Balisan, Sheikh Wasnan, and Khoshnawati Valley.
The President said in his statement, "Today, the 16th of April, marks the 36th anniversary of another heinous crime committed by the former Iraqi regime, which is the chemical bombing of the people of Kurdistan. This crime is the chemical bombing of the residents, the land, and the beautiful nature of Balisan, Sheikh Wasnan, and Khoshnawati Valley."
President Nechirvan Barzani further added, "We remember with pride and dignity the immortal martyrs of that crime and stand in awe and reverence for those pure souls. We salute the wounded and victims of this catastrophe who were not allowed by the former regime to receive treatment and were forced, along with their families, to endure great pain and suffering."
The Kurdistan Region President continued by stating that Balisan, Sheikh Wasnan, and Khoshnawati Valley have always been a center of struggle, fighters, and resistance against the oppression and tyranny of the regime. They have been a haven for sheltering and supporting the Peshmerga and the revolutionaries of Kurdistan. Therefore, as happened many times before, in the spring of 1987, they were invaded again by the regime and bombed with chemical weapons.
The Baathist regime had 36 years ago targeted the Balisan Valley and the villages of Sheikh Wasnan (Khoshnawati Valley) with internationally banned chemical weapons, resulting in the killing of 263 people and injuring more than 620 others.
The regime's use of mustard gas and cyanide gas in the bombing of these areas was unprecedented, and the gassing was repeated in the city of Halabja and other cities and areas of the Kurdistan Region.