Operation Wal-Fajr-4
Laila Heydari Batani
63 بازدید
Operation Fajr-4 was carried out in the Kurdistan Province, Iraq, close to western Iran, the Panjwin District and the northern Sulaymaniyah front on the October 1983. The purpose of this operation was to seize the Schiller Valley, the Panjvin Garrison, and the closure of the counter-revolutionary activities.
In May 1983, Iranian military commanders concluded that the operational axes of the Shalamcheh and Zaid Checkpoints in eastern Basra and Fake will result in many causalities, so, they decided to carry out operations on the mountainous front.[1]
In spring of 1983, Operations Fajr-3 and -4 were designed and approved. The successful operations of Fajr-3 were carried out in Ilam. The most important outcome of this operation was the liberation of Mehran. Operation Fajr-4 was also carried out in October 1983 in the Schiller area, on the Iranian -Iraqi Kurdistan border. The responsibility for the operation was transferred to Hamza Sayyid al-Shuhadah Base in Urumia. Ali Reza Rezaian of the Revolutionary Guards and Colonel Amir Beigi of the army were the commanders of this base. The Iraqi army increased the bombing of the cities of Baneh and Marivan, after becoming aware of this operation.[2]
The Fajr-4 operational area was between the cities of Marivan, Sardasht and Baneh. Schiller Plain was one of the strategic points of this area, with deep recession and sensitive heights, such as Canyanga, Soren, Surkoh, Garrison and the city of Panjwin, Iraq.[3]
Operation Fajr-4 intended to join the defense line on the Surkuh Heights to Soren, to smooth the border line[4] and liberate the Sultan Heights in western Marivan. If successful, the Iranian forces defense line in the Schiller Dasht area would be short and saved. The counter-revolutionary route would also be blocked from the area and Marivan out of the enemy’s control. In addition, the city and garrisons of Panjwin and Garmak were also prepared for operations in Sulaymaniyah Province.[5] Other goals of the operation were the seizure of the Lori, Congress, Garmak, Maro, Khulze 1 and 2, Brush and Roureleh in Iraq.
The Fajr-4 combat force was made up of four tactical bases: the Hamza 1 Tactical Base, which included the 14th Imam Hussein Brigade of the IRGC and the 21st Brigade of the 21st Division of the Army. They intended to seize the Panjwin Heights on the Marivan axis. The Hamza 2 Tactical Base, which included the 44th Bani Hashim Brigade of the IRGC and the 3rd Brigade of the 28th Kurdistan Army. This base was designated by the army, with the aim of capturing the heights of Maru, Brale and Roureleh on the Marivan axis. Hamza 3 Tactical Base included the 8th Najaf Division, the 31st Ashura Division and the 28th Brigade of the 28th Kurdistan Army. Its goal was determined as the capture of Larry, Congress, Garmak on the Baneh axis in the first phase and the capture of the Manega Heights in the second phase. The Hamza 4 Tactical Base included the 25th Karbala Division from the IRGC and the 28th Kurdistan Division, which was used according to the operation status.
Operation Fajr-4 was implemented in four stages and two axes. The first stage began under the command of the headquarters of Hamza Sayyid al Shuhadah and with the announcement of "Ya Allah” on October 17, 1962, at midnight.
On the Baneh axis, the 8th Najaf Division, along with the 31st Ashura Division and the 28th Kurdistan Brigade, capture the important highlands of Larry, Garmak, Congress. The Hamza 3 Tactical Base captured the Congress Heights, the height of Sheikh Hassan and the 428th Iraqi Brigade, along with its subsidiary brigade.
On the Marivan axis, the 44th Bani Hashim Brigade, along with the 3rd Brigade of the 21st Division of the Hamza Sayyid al-Shuhadah Brigade, intended to seize the heights of Maru, Brale, Rourele, Haft Tavanan and Khlouzeh 1 and 2. But they were unable to capture all of them. The Hamza 4 Tactical Base also conquered the two main peaks of Seven Tapan and one of the highlands of Kalouz 2.
On the second night of the operation, on the Marivan axis, the 14th Imam Hussein Brigade, 25th Karbala Brigade and the 28th Kurdistan Brigade succeeded in capturing some heights, and some sensitive and important heights of Zaleh. The capture of these heights was important, because on the one hand, they had full view over the city of Panjwin, and, on the other hand, the asphalt road of Panjwin Nalpiz and the important Strait of Rukan were in the western part of them. The Hamza 4 Tactical Base also had a mission to cover the paths of Rerrouleh, Brlyla and the remaining part of the Seven Tavanan and Khlouzeh Heights and its complete annexation on the right wing of the 8th Najaf Division.
The Iraqi army, though heavily present in these areas, failed. In addition to casualties, many of its forces were captured. On the third day of the operation (October 20, 1983), the operation command ordered the 14th Imam Hussein Brigade to seize the heights of Zaleh and Sayyid Mustafa. But because of problems, the forces were forced to retreat.
On the fourth night of the operation, the forces of the Hamza 2 Tactical Base cleared the heights and areas between the two axes of Baneh and Marivan, although the heights of Khlul 2 and the area around Panjwin remained in the enemy’s hand. The end of the first phase of the operation was announced.
According to the commanders' planning, the unattained goals of the first phase were to be completed in the second phase. Thus, on the Baneh axis, the 31st Ashura Division destroyed two battalions of the Iraqi army and seized the Heights of Purity. The 8th Najaf Division also advanced to the south of the Congress and Garmak Highlands with the help of forces from the 31st Ashura Division. On the Marivan axis, the divisions of the 14th Imam Hussein Brigade and the 41st Tharullah Brigade, by destroying eight enemy tanks, seized the height of Sayyid Mustafa and part of the height of Zaleh and its main peak, but it was later again occupied by the enemy forces.
On October 23, 1983, the 31st Ashura, 41st Tharullah, and 14th Imam Hussein Brigades achieved their expected goals and built an embankment in the Kangrak area in the Baneh axis, towards the Kelo and Valiaveh areas in the Marivan axis. On November 4, after a tough battle, they managed to liberate the important heights of 1470 and 1530 in the west of the operational area, south of Hargane Height on one side and northeast of Panjvin on the other. The city of Panjvin had become an uninhabited area and a military barracks, and the Iraqi army destroyed a large part of it after learning about Operation Fajr-4. Doing so in order to prevent it from being captured by Iranian forces. Ali Rezaiyan, the commander of Hamza Sayyid al-Shuhadah Base, was martyred on November 3.[6]
In the morning of November 2, 1983, the order was issued to start the third phase of Operation Fajr-4, i.e., to capture the Heights of Kanimanga and clear a part of the road west of it.[7] First, the 31st Ashura Division captured part of the Height of Sheikh Ghazneshin. The 27th Muhammad Rasulallah Division also succeeded in capturing the heights of 1866, Shah Tarcher and two important heights of 1904 and 1900, but after changing hands several times, these heights were again occupied by Iraq. Despite this, until November 3, the Iranian forces were able to achieve many of the set goals, and the 14th Imam Hussein Division ended its mission by capturing the western height of Sheikh Gaznashin, and destroying an enemy headquarters located there. In the hours following from this, the 27th Muhammad Rasulallah Division achieved their set objectives, while the 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib Division also cleared the road west of Kanimanga. The captures allowed the advance of the Iranian forces on the south of the road, to the heights of Sheikh Ghazneshin and solved the logistical problems of the forces.
On November 14, the Iraqi army attacked the positions of the 27th Muhammad Rasulallah Division, attempting to recapture the two peaks of 1904 and 1900. After eight hours of effort, they were able to reoccupy the peaks. Thereafter, the 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib Division was assigned to advance on the road west of Kanimanga, to try and capture some of the western ridges of this height. But it faced strong resistance from the Iraqi army and was forced to retreat. Thus, the third phase of Operation Fajr-4 ended.[8]
The fourth and last stage of Operation Fajr-4 began on November 18, 1983, at 21:30. At this stage, the capture of Kanimanga Heights, its eastern and western ridges, the two western ridges of the Tarcher Horn Height, the Rokan Gorge, Zaleh Height and also the advance on the west side of Kanimanga to the Kells area by the Hamza 1 Tactical Base were on the agenda. In the interval between the third and fourth stages of this operation, the Iraqi army replaced its damaged units with new units. Iraq's vigilance in the area made progress slow. Although the heights were captured at first, the heavy fire of the enemy and the arrival of a large number of infantry forces caused Iran's failure at this stage.
The commanders announced that the division of objectives between several units, the lack of accuracy of the plans and the inconsistency between the units as the reasons for the failure of some parts of the operation. The lack of time needed to identify new solutions and the repetitiveness of the existing solutions were also a reason for this failure. Therefore, due to Iraq's strong resistance in maintaining strategic heights and the onset of cold weather, the end of the operation was announced on November 20, 1983.[9]
The Iraqi army used chemical weapons in this operation and launched about twenty chemical cannonballs in the operational area from November 1. On November 3, it chemically bombed several villages of Baneh, which were near the area of Operation Fajr-4.[10]
Among the achievements of Operation Fajr-4, was the capture of the Kanimanga Peaks. Mention can Also be made of the liberation of about a thousand kilometers from the occupied areas, the liberation of the Kuch Sultan Height in the west of Marivan, the connection of the Soren Heights to Surkoh, the capture of large areas of the Schiller Valley, the blocking of a number of anti-resistance routes and the securing of the city of Panjvin and several other Iraqi villages.[11]
In continuation of the Fajr operations, Operation Fajr-5 was carried out on February 17, 1984, in the Changule axis, Ilam Province.[12]
[1] Kazemi, A., Bemo, Tehran: Hozha Haneri, 1980, p. 652; Nemati, Y., Karimi, H., & Akbarpour, M. J., Chronicle of the Iran-Iraq War, book twenty-seventh: preparation of Dawn operation 4, Tehran: Center for Documents and Research of Holy Defence, 2014, p. 22.
[2] Nemati, Y., Karimi, H., & Akbarpour, M. J., Journal of the Iran-Iraq War, book twenty-seventh, p. 22; Rashid, Mohsen, Iran-Iraq War Atlas, Tehran: Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Center for War Studies and Research, Ch 1, 1980, p.59.
[3] Samii, A., Descriptive record of the operations of the eight years of Holy Defense, Tehran: Vice-Chancellor of Propaganda and Publications of Vali-Faqih Agency of the Army, 1997, p. 144.
[4] Nemati, Y., Karimi, H., Akbarpour, M. J., Journal of the Iran-Iraq War, book twenty-seventh, p. 21.
[5] Ardestani, H., Analysis of the Iran-Iraq War, Volume 3: Punishment of the Aggressor, Tehran: Center for War Studies and Research, 1980, p.58.
[6] Lotfollahzadegan, A., Hemti, Iraj, Iran-Iraq War Chronicle, Book Twenty-Eighth: The First Major Operation in the North-West of Dawn 4, Tehran: Holy Defense Records and Research Center, 2017, pp. 22-26.
[7] Ibid, p. 309.
[8] Ibid, pp. 26-29.
[9] Ibid, p. 765.
[10] Ibid, pp. 33 and 32-30
[11]Rashid, M., Iran-Iraq War Atlas, p.90.
[12] An overview of Dawn saga 5, Tehran: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of the North-West region, 1984, pp. 13 and 27.
