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1631-HQ-1462938 shells in the Jafati and Shahrbazar Valleys. Balisan and — Sheikh Wasan lay JE Cree 7 Taree scarcely a mile anda f half apart in a steep- “=, tortor consas PE engl sided valley south of ee a eee Se kor the town of Rawanduz. : oy —s The Balisan Valley was home to the PUK’s Third YOR RCQTESMS LONE Le Regional Command. f are, nae Balisan was described oe § m~ ie ei ne as a sizeable village ‘ aa containing approximately 250 households, with an approximate population of 1,750 from the Khoshnaw Tribe. The village had four mosques, one primary school and one intermediate school. Sheikh Wasan was a smaller settlement of approximately 150 homes. In July 1993, the Human Rights Watch (HRW), a non- governmental organization, published the report, "Genocide In Iraq: The Anfal Campaign Against the Kurds" which documented the Iragi Government’s use of chemical weapons against the Kurds during operations known as the “Anfal Campaign” in 1987 and 1988. HRW reported that its findings were based on interviews of survivors, examination of seized Iraqi documents, and examination of massacre sites. According to HRW, the following is an account of the attack on Balisan and Sheikh Wasan: During the evening hours of April 16, 1987, the villagers of Balisan and Sheikh Wasan heard the sound of approaching aircraft. Some villagers stayed in their homes, while others fled to air-raid shelters when a dozen aircraft came into sight, flying low over the villages. There were a number of muffled explosions. Witnesses and survivors, describing the effects of the attack to HRW stated, “It was all dark, covered with darkness, we could not see anything, and were not able to see each 12