On Friday, April 24, 2026, coinciding with the 52nd anniversary of the bombing of the city of Qaladze (April 24, 1974), the commemoration was revived and held under the supervision and partnership of Prof. Dr. Payman Ramazan, President of Raparin University, and Ambassador Dr. Muhammad Sabir, President of the President Jalal Talabani Foundation. Several worthy activities were carried out to mark the occasion.
The Bombing of the City of Qaladze: On April 24, 1974, several aircraft bombed the city of Qaladze with banned napalm bombs, unleashing their inhumane hatred and fury upon the University of Sulaimani and the civilian population of that city. In a single moment, 123 people, including women, children, the elderly, youth, students, teachers, workers, and farmers, were martyred, along with the injuries to more than 400 people.
Among the activities commemorating the 52nd anniversary of the bombing of Qaladze were a public mourning visit to the cemetery of the martyrs of Qaladze, the recitation of Surah Al-Fatiha for the pure souls of the martyrs, and the laying of bouquets as tokens of respect and loyalty to the city's martyrs.
Another part of the activities included the opening of a photo exhibition about the bombing and the commemoration, highlighting and recalling the events of April 24, 1974, at the College of Education of Raparin University in the city of Qaladze. At the conclusion of the commemorative activities, several panel discussions were held, presenting the atrocity and tragic nature of this crime committed by the Ba'athist regime against the civilian population of the city of Qaladze and the University of Sulaymaniyah.
During these panel discussions, Prof. Dr. Payman Ramazan, President of Raparin University, delivered a speech, stating: "The bombing of a city and a university by a state only occurs in situations where the state seeks to suppress a revolution or intellectual and political development. Therefore, the bombing of Qaladze is considered one of the most prominent armed attacks by the regime, aimed at suppressing the revolution of knowledge following the transfer of the University of Sulaimani to the city of Qaladze."
The President of Raparin University also said: "The Pshdar district has always played an influential role in the revolutions of our nation. Therefore, on the anniversary of April 24, 1982, to commemorate that catastrophe, the revolutionary people of Qaladze once again held a mass demonstration against the policies of the regime. Unfortunately, the authorities and armed forces of the regime responded to the demonstrators with bullets, resulting in several citizens being martyred and wounded, and many others being taken to the dark prisons of the regime."
In that same panel discussion, Ambassador Dr. Muhammad Sabir, President of the President Jalal Talabani Foundation, stated in his speech: "The bombing of Qaladze was carried out by the Ba'athist regime with the primary goal of eliminating all forms of Kurdish progress and development. They blocked every path to halt the march of struggle, revolution, and advancement. For this very reason, on the morning of April 24, 1974, several aircraft bombed the city of Qaladze with banned napalm bombs, unleashing their hatred and fury upon the university and the civilian population of that city. They subjected this city to a catastrophe that defies all ethical, conscientious, and humanitarian standards. In the blink of an eye, 123 people, including women, children, the elderly, youth, students, teachers, workers, and farmers, were martyred, along with the injury of over 400 others. For me specifically, as a witness present on that difficult and tragic day, I was there and saw all those heartbreaking events with my own eyes. It was truly a painful and terrible day for all Kurdish people in general, for the oppressed people of Qaladze specifically, and particularly for me, as several university students were among the martyrs, including (Burhan Abdullah Shaswar, Soran Muhammad Salt, Hiwa Abdul Ghafour, Hama Saleh Sam Sam, Sarwar Ali Qadir, Azad Hussein), and many other students. Besides being university students, they were very close to me; they were also members of the Marxist group where I was responsible for organizing the group in Sulaymaniyah at that time. Evidently, due to that great crime committed by the fascist Baghdad regime, a large number of university students were martyred. I will never forget that catastrophe; I saw all those martyrs and wounded with my own eyes."
The President of the President Jalal Talabani Foundation also highlighted: "Qaladze, despite suffering such enormous damage, remained steadfast with its voice of courage, standing against the tyranny and oppression of the fascist Ba'athist regime. It never yielded in its Kurdish identity and its new path of struggle. After the city's uprising, the Kurdistan Regional Government has gradually developed plans for its reconstruction. However, to date, the citizens and the city have not been officially compensated for the bombing. It is incumbent upon the Iraqi government to take appropriate action and provide restitution for the damages suffered by the city."