SUMMARY

Following the first Gulf War the allied states had declared a no-fly zone for Iraqi aircraft in northern and southern Iraq. This was a means to protect the populations of these areas from Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. In northern Iraq, also known as Iraqi Kurdistan, the Kurdish population found itself attacked by another enemy in 2001, Ansar al-Islam, or the Supporters of Islam. Ansar al-Islam was formed as a coalition between IMK (Islamic Movement in Kurdistan) and Jund al-Islam, the latter actually consisting of a number of groups that had previously broken out of IMK. Ansar al-Islam opposed the Kurdish groups, being that itself is made up of Sunni Muslims in northern Iraq. For this reason Ansar al-Islam received support from the Iraqi regime, as it became a means for Saddam Hussein to target the Kurdish population, and thus also PUK (Patriotic Union of Kurdistan). PUK was one of two major political, and armed, organisations in Iraqi Kurdistan opposing the Hussein regime. For this reason PUK was also assisted by the US, which had an interest in weakening Saddam Hussein’s power.

In 2002 the conflict between Ansar al-Islam and PUK grew more violent. In April a group of Ansar al-Islam attempted to assassinate PUK leader Barham Salih in his home. Salih survived but the attackers and a couple of bodyguards were killed in the attack. Ansar al-Islam also destroyed Sufi shrines and in 2003 it was reported that the group had gained control of chemical weapons. After 2002 Ansar al-Islam also started to use suicide bombers as a means of attacking PUK.

The non-state conflict between Ansar al-Islam and PUK is first included in UCDP data in 2002. In July of that year violent clashes flared up in northern Iraq, resulting in over 25 battle-related deaths.