Thousands commemorate 27th anniversary of Halabja massacre

Thousands of Iraqi yesterday held a five minute silence in memory of the thousands who were killed during the Halabja massacre 27 years ago.

Memorial ceremonies were organised in Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Dohuk and Kirkuk and areas governed by the Kurdish Regional Government.

Erbil Governor Nevzat Hadi said: “Today, the Kurdistan region is still under attack as 27 years ago.”

Kirkuk Governor, Necmettin Kerim added: “The Halabja martyrs will not be forgotten.”

In 1988, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein – in an attempt to quell a revolt led by leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Jalal Talabani – ordered General Ali Hassan Al-Majid Al-Tikriti to use chemical weapons against the Kurdish city of Halabja.

The chemical attack, believed to be the worst in human history, led to the killing of nearly 5,000 people and wounded over 7,000 more, the majority women and children.

Iraq’s High Criminal Court recognised the massacre as genocide on 1 March, 2010.