Defense of Azakh

Defense of Azakh
Part of the Assyrian and Armenian genocides
Date August 18, 1915 – November 21, 1915 (3 months and 3 days) Location Azakh, Ottoman Empire 37°20′30″N 41°53′30″E Result Assyrian victory
Belligerents
Assyrian Defenders Armenian fedayi	Ottoman Empire Allied Kurdish tribes
Commanders and leaders
Işo Hanna Gabre	Ömer Naci Bey
Units involved
Azakh National Assembly "Christ's Fedayi" (Those who sacrifice for Christ.)	3rd Division Ottoman mujahideen Allied Kurdish tribes
Strength
4,000 (mostly Assyrians but also including few Armenians)	8,000+
Casualties and losses
1,200 Christians were killed during the siege.	Heavy

The Defense of Azakh took place between August 18, 1915 and November 21, 1915 and was one of the few remaining pockets of resistance during the Assyrian genocide that took place in Azakh (Syriac: ܐܙܟ, romanized: Azakh). The Azakh defense was coupled with the Defense of Iwardo, which also took place during Sayfo.

The story of the defense remains significant to the memory of the survivors of the massacre and their descendants, as it showed the willingness of the Assyrians to defend themselves and their homeland at a dangerous time. Despite the attempts of Ottoman authorities and Kurdish tribes to inflict more death on the Christians of Azakh, they were unsuccessful and were eventually forced to withdraw their forces.