Operation Quds-4
Mohammadali Abbasi Aghdam
60 بازدید
Operation Quds-4 was a series of limited operations that began on July 21, 1985, in the operational area of Hur al-Huwayzah. They were conducted under the command of the Revolutionary Guards Corps and, after three days of fighting, ended with the liberation of half of the Umm al-Naaj Lake, located northwest of Hur al-Huwayzah and southeast of al-Amara, Iraq.
Two incidents played a vital role in the development of Operation Quds-4 in the Umm al-Naaj Lake. One was the removal of the islets of Shatt al-Dub due to a severe storm, the other was information obtained from the Iraqi POWs. In fact, it was them who turned the attention of the commanders to Umm al-Naaj Lake.[1]
The most important feature of Operation Quds-4, when compared to the other Quds operations, was the composition of the forces operating in this operation. In this operation, the forces of the operating unit, the 9th Badr Brigade of IRGC were, except for its commander (Ismail Daqaighi) and some of its cadres, composed of Iraqi mujahid forces who were expelled from Iraq and who became refugees during the war. A combination of Iraqi soldiers and civilian mujahideen formed the Badr Brigade, which was responsible for the defense of the same operational area in Hur before Operation Quds-4.[2]
The combatants of the 9th Badr Brigade in Operation Quds-4 consisted of Shaheed Beheshti Battalion, Ansar al-Husayn Battalion, Shaheed Dastghaib Battalion, and Shaheed Sadr Battalion. They were also joined by a company of reserves.[3]
The intelligence and operation unit of this brigade - consisting of Iraqi mujahid forces, Hur tribesmen, and some fighters from the Revolutionary Guards - started reconnaissance of the region in the western and eastern axes from the beginning of July 1985. On the western axis, reconnaissance was carried out with a bomb and then by divers. On the eastern axis, identifications were done only by Belm and with the help of nomads. But because of many ambushes and the marking of the area, identification was very slow. For this reason, the enemy's location was not accurately identified. One of the better identification tools was the use of wireless eavesdropping devices, in this way the location of the outposts, enemy ambushes, the size of the ambush forces, the time of deliveries, the change of guard, the type of weapons, and the time of their request were obtained.
The overall defense of the region was the responsibility of the 29th Division of the Iraqi army based in al-Ma'il. The 117th Border Brigade of the Iraqi Army, whose base was located in Abu Sha'ir, was stationed in front of the Badr Brigade. In this way, the 5th Battalion and elements from the 2nd Battalion of this brigade were stationed at Umm al-Naaj Lake, while its 4th Battalion was stationed from Abu Khasaf towards the south, in front of the Khait waterway.[4]
Two days before the start of the operation, the operating forces were gradually moved to the operation area by observing the element of surprise. The western axis forces were stationed at the Se and Hur checkpoints, whereas the eastern axis forces were stationed in the vicinity of the Laoj Aqueduct and Abu Shush Pond. The demolition unit cleared the paths by blowing up fixed and mobile explosives that were in the path of the advancing troops. Other support units and combat services also took necessary measures to support the troops.[5]
Before the start of the operation, the Iraqis bombed the area. Artillery fire was also carried out to some extent in the area, and in some cases, the Farsan al-Hur forces (native tribes of Iraq) carried out reconnaissance and combat patrols, but due to the threat of ambushes, they could not perform any worthwhile action.
Finally, on July 1, 1985, around midnight, Operation Quds-4 started. The speed of the forces and the use of the element of surprise, caused confusion within the Iraqis ranks and they failed to respond appropriately. In the meantime, the issue worthy of attention was the capture of the wireless agent of the Iraqi command. After the fall of the checkpoints and securing the objectives of the operation, the Iraqi forces began heavy artillery fire.[6]
After three days of fighting, Operation Quds-4 ended. The liberation of half of Umm al-Naaj Lake from Shatt al-Dub, west of the lake, to Umm Tuse Pond to its east was part of the results of this operation. Additionally, 80 soldiers were killed, 100 wounded and 53 captured. Equipment, including seven boats, ten brakes, four wireless communication pods, fifty Kalashnikov rifles, five shotguns, two mortars, five RPGs, and two ordinary cameras was also seized. In this operation, five Iranian soldiers were martyred and 25 people were injured due to air strikes.
Accurate identification in the western axis, strong communication between the command and the operational forces, good positioning of the operational forces, the active listening post, the speed and proper coordination of the divers and the proper coordination of the equipment unit with the operational forces were among the factors that led to the success of this limited operation.[7]
[1] The series of Quds operations: mobilization on the fronts and preventing the enemy from calming down, Tehran: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Center for War Studies and Research, 2014, pp. 57 and 58.
[2] Ibid, p. 55.
[3] Nakhai, H., Mashhadi Farahani, H., Iran-Iraq War Chronicle, Book 37: Development of Relations with Asian Powers from June 24 to August 20, 1985, Tehran: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Center for War Studies and Research, 2004, p. 484.
[4] Series of operations Quds, pp. 59 and 60.
[5] Ibid, pp. 63 and 64.
[6] Drodian, M., A journey through the Iran-Iraq war Vol.2: Khorramshahr to Faw, a military-political survey of the war after the liberation of Khorramshahr to the conquest of Faw and the liberation of Mehran from July 1982 to August 1986, Tehran: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Center for War Studies and Research, 1999. p.137.
[7] Series of operations Quds, pp. 75 and 76.
