Simele Massacre

Simele Massacre

On August 7, 1933, units of the Iraqi Army entered the town of Simele in northern Iraq during a military campaign targeting Assyrian communities. Tensions had escalated following disputes between Assyrian groups and the Iraqi government concerning autonomy, military service, and border security after Iraq’s independence from the United Kingdom in 1932.

Iraqi forces, supported by irregular tribal elements, carried out killings in Simele and surrounding villages in the Dohuk district. Reports documented executions, village burnings, looting, and the targeting of unarmed civilians. The operations extended beyond Simele to dozens of Assyrian settlements in northern Iraq during August 1933.

Estimates of those killed range from several hundred to several thousand Assyrians. The events led to displacement of survivors and increased emigration from Iraq. The massacre became a reference point in later discussions of minority protection and state violence in the interwar Middle East.