Hakkari Expedition 1916

Hakkari Expedition 1916
Date 21 May 1916 – 29 June 1916 Location Hakkari, Ottoman Empire Result Assyrian Victory various Kurdish fortresses destroyed
Belligerents
Assyrian volunteers	Local Hakkari (historical province) Kurdish tribe's
Commanders and leaders
Dawid Mar Shimun Malik Khoshaba Malik Ismail II	Local Kurdish chieftains

The Hakkari Expedition of 1916 (21 May–29 June 1916) was a number of raids conducted by the Assyrian volunteers against local Hakkari Kurdish tribesmen who the year prior, with the help of the Ottomans expelled the Assyrians from Hakkari and resulted in them settling in Russian controlled Urmia and it's surroundings.

Preparations for Expedition

On May 21, Malik Ismail II and Malik Khoshaba with their fighters left Urmia and the surrounding settlements to Salmas, they arrived the next day and met Dawid Mar Shimun and Malik Shamizdin among other tribal chiefs and their fighters whom had been waiting for the arrival of Ismail and Khoshaba. On May 23, they left to Bashqalan and reached Qudchanis on May 27 and found only a thousand cossacks guarding it.

Battles in the mountains of Hakkari

From Qudchanis the Assyrians split into two branches the first under the leadership of Malik Ismail went to darawa where he met Tyaraye who had reestablished themselves in there former villages and the second under Dawid Mar Shimun went on the road to Jurlamerk, they reached Tkhuma and found it in ruins and empty. In Tkhuma both forces met and after several fierce battles of many inaccessible Kurdish castles and fortresses where destroyed.

Soon after the army returned for Chal whom's fortress was in a very mountainous terrain but after the Assyrians divided themselves in three branch's the first lead by Malik Ismail, the second lead Malik Khammo Baz and third lead by Malik Shamizdin the Assyrians trampled all the villages around and looted many sheep and cattle. Dawid Mar Shimun was waiting until the whole Assyrian force pulled out and the booty of the looting was divided.

Assyrian retreat into Urmia

Before leaving Malik Ismail told the Tyaraye who had reestablished that the Russian Army had returned from Qudchanis to Bashqalan and that the assyrians that returned to Hakkari wouldn't withstand the Ottomans and Kurds on there own and that it would be best for them to join the Assyrians in Urmia and Salmas. On June 29, all the Assyrian fighters who partook in the expedition returned to Russian occupied Iran.

See also

• 1917 Hakkari Expedition
• Urmia Clashes
• Battle Charah
• Battle of Suldouze
• Persian Campaign
• Sayfo
• Assyrian Rebellion
• Assyrian Volunteers
• Assyrian Levies
• Mar Benyamin Shimun
• Mar Paulos Shimun
• Agha Petros
• Malik Khoshaba
• Surma Mar Shimun
• Simko Shikak Revolt (1918-1922)
• Simko Shikak Revolt (1926)