Sumar is one of the small border cities of Kermanshah Province in western Iran. It was the first city to be occupied by Iraqi forces during the Iran-Iraq War and suffered extensive damage.

Sumar is one of the districts of Qasr-e Shirin County in Kermanshah Province and the closest Iranian city to Baghdad, located 10 kilometers from the Iraqi border and 18 kilometers from the Iraqi city of Mandali. The city borders Ivan County to the east, Naft Shahr to the north, and Iraq and the Buli rural district of Chavar district in Ilam County to the west and south.⁠[1]

Sumar lies among the valleys of the Sarat, Chogha-Aman, and Arduban heights.⁠[2] The city has a tropical climate with low rainfall and falls within a semi-arid zone. The Kangir River is the most significant waterway running through Sumar.⁠[3]

The people of Sumar are of Aryan descent and speak Kermanshah Kurdish. The majority are Shia, with a portion following Sunni Islam.⁠[4]

Sumar and Naft Shahr were the most accessible targets for Iraq, and the 12th Armored Division of Iraq’ s Second Corps attacked this region repeatedly.⁠[5]

From early 1980, the border cities of Sumar, Naft Shahr, and Paveh came under sporadic Iraqi fire.⁠[6] On September 10, 1980, Iraq’ s Second Corps took control of the main Qasr-e Shirin– Naft Shahr Road from Tangab-e Kohneh to Sumar. Artillery fire on the border posts intensified, and the 81st Armored Division of Kermanshah took on the defense of Sumar. Therefore, residents were forced to leave the city and relocate to Ilam Province (Ivan).⁠[7]

On September 21, 1980, the Iraqi army seized the Giskeh area and gained full control over the Mian-Tang Valley and the Sumar Plain. On September 22, with the full-scale invasion and the deployment of the 12th Armored Division along the Mandali– Sumar axis, Sumar was completely occupied by Iraqi troops.⁠[8]

Following the Iraqi assault, resistance cells were formed comprising Army personnel, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members, Gendarmerie forces, and local border fighters.⁠[9]

From an operational standpoint, Sumar was considered a separate zone, as the rugged Sharifan and Kukh-Gach heights to the east of the city prevented large-scale operations, and there were no tactical objectives for roughly fifty kilometers east of Sumar, as far as the settlement of Zarneh.⁠[10]

Two Iraqi anti-aircraft and artillery battalions were transferred to Sumar on October 21, 1980.⁠[11]

To liberate the eastern elevations of Sumar, the Islamic Republic Army launched Operation Ashura on November 19, 1980, catching Iraqi forces off guard and capturing the heights. However, the following day, an Iraqi counterattack retook all the heights.⁠[12]

After Operation Zein al-Abidin (as), the Naft Shahr– Sumar axis turned into a defensive front, and the war continued on the southern front in Khuzestan.⁠[13]

Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei (ra), then representative of Imam Khomeini (ra) on the Supreme Defense Council, visited the Sumar and Gilan-e Gharb fronts on April 21, 1981.⁠[14]

In 1982, following its defeats on the southern fronts, Iraq changed its strategy and carried out a general withdrawal, freeing many cities. That same year, Iraqi forces also withdrew from the Sumar front and repositioned to the highlands nearby.⁠[15]

On July 1, 1982, Iraq launched a heavy artillery bombardment on Qasr-e Shirin, Gilan-e Gharb, Sumar, and Mehran. The Iraqis also planted 4,800 anti-personnel and anti-tank mines in the elevations near Sumar and along the area’ s roads, which Iranian forces subsequently located and neutralized.⁠[16]

Iranian Army and IRGC forces carried out Operation Moslim ibn Aqil west of Sumar on October 1, 1982, over seven days, with the aim of liberating the Sumar elevations. They gained control of the Giskeh and Kohneh-Rig heights, bringing the Iraqi city of Mandali within range. After this operation, the Sumar front saw no major activity for roughly three years.⁠[17]

Several divisionary operations were conducted in 1985, including Operation Zafar on June 30, Operation Giskeh on July 22, Operation Tapeh-Sorkhi on September 25, Operation Sumar on October 21, and Operation North Sanvabha on November 6.⁠[18]

In 1986, the Iraqi army reoccupied part of the heights that had been liberated during Operation Moslim ibn Aqil.⁠[19]

Iraq attacked Sumar with heavy artillery and airstrikes in late 1986. On December 31, the Iraqi air force hit the Iranian frontline near Sumar and the 528th Sumar Field Hospital with chemical bombs.⁠[20]

The last operation on the Sumar– Naft Shahr front was carried out by the Army Ground Forces on January 13, 1987, at Shalamcheh in support of Operation Karbala 5.⁠[21]

On October 8, 1987, the Iraqi army carried out an intense chemical bombardment of the Sumar operational area, which resulted in the martyrdom of 100 people and injuries to 1,350.⁠[22] Following the attack, then-Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Velayati wrote to the UN Secretary-General requesting the immediate action of the Security Council. He noted that international organizations and governments had effectively authorized Iraq’ s use of chemical weapons, and stated that Iran is also capable of using chemical weapons but had refrained from doing so out of respect for human rights, Islamic principles, and international law.⁠[23]

A few days after Iran accepted Resolution 598 — on July 22, 1988 — Iraq attacked Iran and occupied Sumar on July 23.⁠[24] On August 1, 1988, thanks to the efforts of IRGC and Basij fighters, Sumar was fully liberated.⁠[25]

The military map of Iraq’ s advance into and occupation of Sumar in July-August 1988 is documented in the book Sayeh-ye Tak (The Shadow of the Vine), the memoirs of Rahim Afshari.⁠[26]

About 1,000 hectares of land in and around Sumar remain contaminated with mines.⁠[27]

Sumar is currently the least populated city in Iran, with approximately 180 residents according to the most recent census. A plan to convert the city into a commercial zone and open a border market is under consideration.⁠[28]