Halabja - March 16th 1988 - Kurdish Genocide

The Halabja massacre remains one of the deadliest chemical weapons attacks directed at a civilian-populated area in modern history. On March 16, 1988, during the closing days of the Iran-Iraq War, Saddam Hussein’s forces deliberately targeted the Kurdish city of Halabja with a lethal cocktail of mustard gas and nerve agents. Part of the broader, genocidal Al-Anfal campaign against the Kurdish people, the attack claimed the lives of roughly 5,000 innocent people and injured up to 10,000 more. In this post, we will explore the historical context leading up to that fateful day, the horrific reality of the attack, and the enduring quest for justice for the victims of Halabja.