The former regime had bombed in 16 of March 1988 Halabja city with chemical weapons , killing more than 5,500 Iraqi Kurds and wounded 7000-10000 mostly civilians, thousands of residents of the town had been killed in the following year due to health complications , diseases and birth defects .

A source in the Presidency of Kurdistan Region revealed on Sunday , that Massoud Barzani has approved converting Halabja to a province .

Kurdistan Regional Government has initiated measures to convert Halabja in Sulaimaniyah province to a province, after receiving a direct order from the region's president, Massoud Barzani .