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Allah Akbar Hills
Written by: Afsaneh Sadeqi
Translated by: Hadi Qorbanyar
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After the wide heights of Mishdagh, the highest point in the Dasht-e Azadegan region is the Allah Akbar Hills, which rise to a maximum elevation of 54 meters. Situated northwest of Susangerd, they overlook Susangerd and the Dasht-e Azadegan Barracks, which are located ten kilometers north of Hamidiyeh.[1]
The Allah Akbar Hills lie north of Susangerd and the Karkheh River, forming the boundary between Susangerd and the vicinity of Bostan. They stretch about 7 kilometers in length and between 300 and 500 meters in width. Composed of clay and sandstone rocks, this area has long been considered one of the potential axes for an Iraqi invasion: the Chazzabeh axis, running north of the Karkheh River to Hamidiyeh and then to Ahvaz. The Allah Akbar Hills and the route along this axis represented a strategic position for both Iranian and Iraqi troops. After suffering successive defeats in Susangerd and retreating west of the city, the invading Baathist army occupied the Allah Akbar Hills, gaining complete visibility over the Iranian positions.[2]
Although these rocky hills—some of which tend towards black in color and are popularly known as the Allah Akbar Hills—are not particularly high, they provided an ideal location for concealing weapons and digging in troops due to their deep ravines and rugged terrain.[3]
When Dr. Mustafa Chamran was wounded, a meeting was held in the hospital with the attendance of General Fallaahi, Hojatolislam Mahallati, the commander of the 92nd Armored Division, and Rostami from the Mashhad Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The purpose was to discuss and decide on how to launch an attack to liberate the Allah Akbar Hills north of Susangerd. Given their strategic importance and dominance over northern Susangerd and western Hamidiyeh, the enemy dispatched forces to the area early in the war, entrenched them on the hills, and used the heights as a fortified stronghold. The Iraqis also laid extensive minefields around their positions and deployed tanks and heavy artillery, thereby securing complete oversight of the surrounding area.[4]
While political disputes in the country had reached their peak and tensions were raised in the Islamic Consultative Assembly between opponents and supporters of the president, the operation to seize the Allah Akbar Hills began on May 21, 1981. In planning this operation, Gholamali Rashid, Rahim Safavi, and Hassan Baqeri from the IRGC worked alongside Iranian Army commanders. In total, three battalions from the IRGC, along with Brigade 3 of the 92nd Armored Division of Khuzestan and two battalions from irregular warfare units, carried out the operation in the area north of Susangerd. The operation, named Imam Ali (as), liberated major portions of these heights on May 21, 1981.[5]
A few months later, on September 2, 1981, Operation Nasr was launched to drive the enemy out of northwest Susangerd and west of the Allah Akbar Hills. The first phase of the operation began at 5 AM, after thirty minutes of preparatory fire, west of the Allah Akbar Hills along two axes. On the left axis, the Iranian forces started their advance from the Hammudi Aasi area towards Jaber Hamadan. They succeeded in capturing the village of Saleh Hassan, advancing six kilometers, and reaching within two hundred meters of the Jaber Hamadan embankment. The approach of Iranian forces to the main embankment caused a fierce reaction and heavy fire from the enemy. The intense enemy response and the lack of timely support from Iranian armored units halted the infantry advance on this axis and inflicted heavy casualties. This happened while the left flank of the forces on this axis was also exposed, and the second phase of the operation—which was supposed to take place south of the Karkheh and cover the left flank of the Hammudi Aasi axis forces—was not carried out. As a result, those forces came under enemy fire from south of the Karkheh as well.[6]
While the operation was underway along the left axis, the Iranian troops on the right axis began advancing towards the enemy observation hill known as Tappeh Sabz, six kilometers north of Jaber Hamadan village. The sandy soil of the Allah Akbar Hills slowed movement and progress on this axis. After four hours of advance, the forces reached the northernmost point of the enemy embankment by 9 AM and inflicted casualties and damage on Iraqi troops. On the second day of the operation, Iranian forces on the right axis tried to capture another section of the cane-shaped embankment and complete the designated objectives, which were successfully executed. In addition to seizing the right and northern parts of the embankment and causing casualties and damage to the enemy, the Iranian troops liberated Tappeh Sabz, located 800 meters from the cane-shaped embankment and overlooking enemy positions.[7]
[1] Habibi, Abolqasem, Dasht-e Azadegan dar Jang (Dasht-e Azadegan in the War), Tehran: Markaz-e Motaleat va Tahqiqat-e Jang-e Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, 1381, p. 21.
[2] Pourrakani, Muhammad-Amin, Nabardha-ye Dasht-e Azadegan: Karnameh-ye Tarikh-e Joghrafiya-ye Manateq-e Amaliyati-ye Gharb-e Ahvaz, 1359–1367 (Battles of the Dasht-e Azadegan: A Historical–Geographical Record of the Operational Areas West of Ahvaz, 1359–1367), Tehran: Bonyad-e Hefz-e Asar va Nashr-e Arzeshha-ye Defa Muqaddas, 1388, p. 58.
[3] Tarafi, Hamid, Dasht-e Azadegan dar Hasht Sal-e Defa Muqaddas (Dasht-e Azadegan during the Eight Years of the Sacred Defense), Qom: Nasim-e Hayat, 1384, p. 513.
[4] Ibid., Pp. 511–512.
[5] Alaei, Hussain, Ravand-e Jang-e Iran va Araq (The Course of the Iran–Iraq War), Vol. 1, Tehran: Marz va Boom, 1391, Pp. 311–312;
Habibi, Abolqasem, Dasht-e Azadegan dar Hasht Sal-e Defa Muqaddas (Dasht-e Azadegan during the Eight Years of the Sacred Defense), p. 513.
[6] Habibi, Abolqasem, Atlas-e Khuzestan dar Jang-e Iran va Araq (Atlas of Khuzestan in the Iran–Iraq War), Tehran: Markaz-e Asnad-e Defa Muqaddas, 1392, p. 138.
[7] Ibid., Pp. 138–139.
