s ▁at ▁great ▁distances ▁from ▁their ▁homes . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁An fal ▁campaign , ▁during ▁which ▁as ▁many ▁as ▁ 1 8 2 , 0 0 0 ▁Ira qi ▁Kur ds ▁disappeared . ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁men ▁were ▁separated ▁from ▁their ▁families ▁and ▁were ▁executed ▁in ▁desert s ▁in ▁the ▁west ▁and ▁south - west ▁of ▁Ira q . ▁The ▁remains ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁their ▁w ives ▁and ▁children ▁have ▁also ▁been ▁found ▁in ▁mass ▁gra ves . ▁ ▁Chem ical ▁attacks ▁against ▁Kur d ish ▁villages ▁from ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁to ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁including ▁the ▁Hal ab ja ▁attack , ▁when ▁the ▁Ira qi ▁Air ▁Force ▁dropped ▁sar in , ▁V X ▁and ▁tab un ▁chemical ▁agents ▁on ▁the ▁civil ian ▁population , ▁killing ▁ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁people ▁immediately ▁and ▁causing ▁long - term ▁medical ▁problems , ▁related ▁death s , ▁and ▁birth ▁defect s ▁among ▁the ▁pro gen y ▁of ▁thousands ▁more . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 9 1 ▁mass acre ▁of ▁Ira qi ▁Sh ia ▁Muslim s ▁after ▁the ▁Sh ia ▁u pr ising ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁G ulf ▁war , ▁in ▁which ▁tens ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁soldiers ▁and ▁civ ili ans ▁in ▁regions ▁such ▁as ▁Bas ra , ▁Kar b ala , ▁Naj af , ▁N asi ri ya , ▁Am ara ▁and ▁Al - H illa h ▁were ▁killed . ▁Th ous ands ▁of ▁homes ▁were ▁demol ished ▁and ▁vast ▁areas