The 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division
The 33rd al-Mahdi Division (as) was one of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) units in Fars Province that played a key role in various operations during the Iran-Iraq War.
As anti-revolutionary activities intensified in the northwest and west—especially in Kurdish areas—and armed groups increased their attacks against the Islamic Republic, the IRGC forces from Fars, along with local volunteers, headed to Kurdistan in multiple groups. Among them were three armed teams sent to Sanandaj on April 30, 1980, and reinforcements to Mahabad in July–August 1980. When the Iran-Iraq War began, the Fars IRGC and Basij units were deployed to the frontlines. The first official group—170 strong—deployed to the southern front in Ahvaz on October 3, 1980. Later on, more units were sent to other axes like Abadan, Susangerd, Dehloran, and Mehran.[1]
As increasing numbers of volunteers from Shiraz joined the fronts, it became evident that the Fars contingent lacked a proper military structure. Therefore, the forces were formally organized for the first time as the Shahid Ayatollah Dastgheib Brigade. Under the command of Mohsen Banaiyan, the brigade—1,200 men strong—was deployed to the southern fronts on January 2, 1982. As Operation Fath al-Mubin (March 1982) approached, large number of forces from Fars were organized into brigades like Laylat al-Qadr, Imam Mahdi (as), Shahid Mahdi Firouzi, and Malek Ashtar.[2] In the meantime, the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade was officially formed on February 24, 1982, before Fath al-Mubin, under Ali Fazli’s command.[3]
On the 22nd of March 1982, Operation Fath al-Mubin took place west of the Karkheh River in Khuzestan.[4] The al-Mahdi (as) Brigade joined the operation with six battalions under Fajr Headquarters, helping liberate 2,500 square kilometers of occupied Khuzestan land.[5]
Because organizing and deploying battalions from Fars Province had been centralized, the process demanded extensive mobilization campaigns to recruit volunteers. This approach proved cumbersome and inefficient. To facilitate recruitment and increase local participation, the decision was made to decentralize the process: individual counties would take responsibility for directly forming their own combat battalions. Districts 1 and 7 (Shiraz and Abadeh) supplied manpower for the 35th Imam Sajjad (as) Brigade. Districts 2 and 3 (Jahrom and Fasa) provided forces for the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade. Meanwhile, districts 4, 5, and 6 (Bushehr, Yasuj, and Kazerun) supported the newly established 93rd Fatemeh Zahra (sa) Brigade.[6] After Operation Beit al-Muqaddas (1982), supplying the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade officially fell under IRGC Region 9 (covering Fars, Bushehr, and Kohgiluyeh va Boyer-Ahmad provinces).[7]
On June 23, 1982, Muhammad-Jafar Asadi was appointed commander of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade and stayed in that role until the end of the war. At the same time, the brigade was assigned to Fars Province, and therefore, non-Fars personnel were sent back to their home units.[8]
Operation Ramazan began on July 13, 1982, east of Basra, aiming to capture Nashwa, Tanumeh, and the Basra Bridge.[9] The 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade participated in the operation under Fajr Headquarters,[10] helping liberate 250 square kilometers of Iranian soil and 80 square kilometers of the Iraqi territory.[11]
On April 17, 1983, the 19th Fajr Division was formed under Muhammad-Nabi Rudaki.[12] Initially, the plan was to merge the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade, the Fatemeh Zahra (sa) Brigade, the 35th Imam Sajjad (as) Brigade, and the Fajr Headquarters staff into the newly formed 19th Fajr Division. However, Muhammad-Jafar Asadi, commander of the 33rd al-Mahdi Brigade, opposed the integration. As a result, the 33rd al-Mahdi Brigade remained independent[13] and formally separated from the 19th Fajr Division in May 1983.[14]
In February 1984, Operation Kheibar was carried out in northern Basra, which led to the capture of the Majnoon Islands (Iraq).[15] The 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade, along with the 44th Qamar Bani Hashem (as) Brigade, participated in this operation under Khatam al-Anbiya (pbuh) Headquarters.[16]
Operation Badr started on March 10, 1985, to cut the Basra–al-Amarah Road and put pressure on Basra from the north.[17] The 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade joined the operation with five battalions,[18] helping liberate parts of Hawizeh Marshes.[19]
On February 9, 1986, Operation Valfajr 8 was launched to seize the Al-Faw Peninsula.[20] By crossing the Arvand Rud, Iranian forces took Al-Faw City within 48 hours and controlled Khor Abdullah (Iraq’s only waterway to Umm al-Qasr Port).[21] In this operation, the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade, with special diver support, handled crossing the river, breaking the first enemy line, and clearing the bridgehead under Nuh Headquarters. In the next phase, it repelled Iraqi counterattacks, halted their advances, and successfully secured the positions they had captured during the first phase.[22]
After Operation Valfajr 8, the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade was upgraded to division status.[23]
In 1986, when Iraq adopted its mobile defense strategy, the IRGC formed Qaem (as) units to counter it. The 326th Qaem (as) Fars Unit was formed on May 25, 1986, entirely from 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division personnel. It was deployed defensively at Haj Omran in the Shahid Sadr Heights and joined Operation Karbala 2 on September 1, 1986. Later on, it was merged back into the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division.[24]
The IRGC launched Operation Karbala 4 on December 24, 1986, along the Arvand Rud to approach Basra.[25] The 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division participated in the operation[26] under the command of the Nuh Headquarters. It deployed three diver battalions to secure the left flank. But the operation failed early due to enemy pressure, and the Iranian forces had to retreat. In the course of this withdrawal, the forces of three diver battalions and the naval unit of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division were martyred. Afterward, it was placed under Karbala Headquarters to engage the enemy in Shalamcheh.[27]
About 15 days after Operation Karbala 4, the IRGC launched Operation Karbala 5 on January 9, 1987.[28] The offensive aimed to advance east of Basra and capture the strategic town of Shalamcheh. Iranian forces succeeded in liberating approximately 75 square kilometers of Iraqi territory.[29] The 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division also joined the operation under Karbala Headquarters.[30]
Key combat units of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division during the Sacred Defense included 326th Qaem (as), 941, Tharallah (as), Fajr, and Abu Zar battalions, as well as the demolition battalion.[31] Over eight years, 290,122 fighters from the division took part in 29 offensive and defensive operations.[32]
Among the martyrs of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division were Jalal Kousha (deputy intelligence officer),[33] and Morteza Javidi (Fajr Battalion Commander).[34]
Ali Fazli and Muhammad-Jafar Asadi commanded the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division during the Iran-Iraq War.[35]
After the war ended, the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division was reorganized into two separate units. In southern Fars, the 33rd Airborne al‑Mahdi (as) Brigade was established in Jahrom, while in Fasa, the Ansar al‑Hojjah (as) Brigade was formed under the command structure of the 19th Fajr Division.[36]
References:
- [1] Gorouh-e Raviyan-e Takhribchi-ye Lashkar-e 19 Fajr-e Ostan-e Fars, Sarneizehha-ye Khaki (Dusty Bayonets), Tehran, Markaz-e Asnad va Tahqiqat-e Defa Muqaddas,1402 solar, p. 44.
- [2] Ibid., p. 45.
- [3] Wiki Shahid, Daneshnameh-ye Jahad va Shahadat, Lashkar-e 33 al-Mahdi (as) (Encyclopedia of Jihad and Martyrdom, 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division), https://wikishahid.ir/%
- [4] Rahimi, Mostafa, Amaliyat-e Fath al-Mubin (Operation Fath al-Mubin), Wiki Defa, https://wikidefa.ir/?id=1y43p4jd
- [5] Sait-e Sazman-e Asnad va Madarek-e Defa Muqaddas, Amaliyat-e Fath al-Mubin (Operation Fath al-Mubin), https://defadocs.ir/Operation
- [6] Gorouh-e Raviyan-e Takhribchi-ye Lashkar-e 19 Fajr-e Ostan-e Fars, Ibid., p. 46.
- [7] Wiki Shahid, Ibid.
- [8] Sajjadimanesh, Seyyed Hamid, Hedayat-e Sevom - Khaterat-e Sardar Muhammad-Jafar Asadi (Third Guidance - Memoirs of Sardar Muhammad-Jafar Asadi), Tehran, Soureh Mehr, 2nd edition, 1393, Pp. 216, 217.
- [9] Ashourioun, Ahmad-Reza, Atlas-e Lashkar-e 14 Imam Hussain (as) dar Dowran-e Defa Muqaddas (Atlas of the 14th Imam Hussain (as) Division During the Sacred Defense), Tehran, Markaz-e Asnad va Tahqiqat-e Defa Muqaddas, 1402, p. 184.
- [10] Lotfollahzadehgan, Ali-Reza, Roozshomar-e Jang-e Iran va Araq - Obour az Marz (Daily Chronicle of the Iran-Iraq War - Crossing the Border), Vol. 20, Tehran, Markaz-e Motaleat va Taqhiqat-e Jang, 1381, p. 230.
- [11] Heydari Bateni, Leila, Amaliyat-e Ramazan (Operation Ramazan), Wiki Defa, https://wikidefa.ir
- [12] Gorouh-e Raviyan-e Takhribchi-ye Lashkar-e 19 Fajr-e Ostan-e Fars, Ibid., p. 47.
- [13] Refahiyat, Ali-Reza va Hussain Ahmadi, Tarikh-e Shafahi-ye Defa Muqaddas - Ravayat-e Muhammad-Nabi Rudaki Farmandeh-ye Lashkar-e 19 Fajr (Oral History of the Sacred Defense - Narrative of Muhammad-Nabi Rudaki, Commander of the 19th Fajr Division), Tehran, Markaz-e Asnad va Tahqiqat-e Defa Muqaddas, 1402, p. 241.
- [14] Wiki Shahid, Ibid.
- [15] Mirzaei, Reza, Hamasehha-ye Namdaran-e Gomnam (Epics of the Unknown Heroes), Tehran, Bonyad-e Hefz-e Asar va Nashr-e Arzeshha-ye Defa Muqaddas, 44th edition, 1399, Pp. 444, 469.
- [16] Hussaini, Seyyed Yaqub, Nabardha-ye Sal-e 1362 ta Payan-e 1364 (Battles from 1983 to Early 1986), Tehran, Iran Sabz, 1390, p. 341.
- [17] Pourahmad, Ahmad, Joghrafiya-ye Amaliyatha-ye Mandegar-e Defa Muqaddas (Geography of Key Operations During the Sacred Defense), Tehran, Bonyad-e Hefz-e Asar va Nashr-e Arzeshha-ye Defa Muqaddas, 2nd edition, 1390, p. 209.
- [18] Hussaini, Seyyed Yaqub, Ibid., p. 451.
- [19] Pourahmad, Ahmad, Ibid., p. 233.
- [20] Pourjabari, Pejman, Atlas-e Joghrafiya-ye Hamasi - Khuzestan dar Jang (Atlas of Epic Geography - Khuzestan in the War), Vol. 1, Tehran, Sarir, 1389, p. 101.
- [21] Ahmadipour, Ali, Shenasnameh-ye Navtip 13 Amir al-Momenin (as) dar Dowran-e Defa Muqaddas (Profile of the 13th Amir al-Momenin (as) Naval Brigade During the Sacred Defense), Bushehr, Pelak-e Eshq, 1401, p. 22.
- [22] Samizadeh, Muhammad va Daigaran, Gozaresh-e Nabard-e Tip-e Mostaqell-e 33 al-Mahdi (as) dar Amaliyat-e Valfajr 8 (Report on the Battle of the Independent 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade in Operation Valfajr 8), Faslnameh-ye Negin-e Iran, No. 48, Bahar 1393, p. 61.
- [23] Wiki Shahid, Ibid.
- [24] Ibid
- [25] Pourahmad, Ahmad, Ibid., Pp. 312, 323.
- [26] Ardestani, Hussain, Tayin-konandegi-ye Amaliyat-e Karbala-ye 5 va Tasvib-e Qatnameh 598 (The Decisiveness of Operation Karbala 5 and the Approval of Resolution 598), Faslnameh-ye Negin-e Iran, No. 49, Tabestan 1393, p. 11.
- [27] Moradi, Majid va Digaran, Gozaresh-e Nabard-e Yeganha-ye 18 al-Ghadir va 33 al-Mahdi (as) dar Karbala-ye 5 (Report on the Battle of the 18th al-Ghadir and 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Units in Karbala 5), Faslnameh-ye Negin-e Iran, No. 49, Tabestan 1393, p. 80.
- [28] Ahmadipour, Ali, Ibid., p. 23.
- [29] Heydari Bateni, Leila, Amaliyat-e Karbala-ye 5 (Operation Karbala 5), Wiki Defa, https://wikidefa.ir
- [30] Ibid.
- [31] Markaz-e Asnad-e Enqelab-e Eslami, Negahi be Reshadatha-ye Lashkar-e 33 al-Mahdi (as) Ostan-e Fars (A Look at the Bravery of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division of Fars Province), 3 Mehr 1400, https://irdc.ir/fa/news/70548
- [32] Sait-e Khabarban, Naqsh-Afarini-ye Lashkar-e 33 al-Mahdi (as) dar Dowran-e Defa Muqaddas (Role of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division During the Sacred Defense), https://41568945.khabarban.com/
- [33] Khabargozari-e Mehr, Bargozari-ye Nokhostin Yadvareh-ye Shuhada-ye Ettelaat va Amaliyat-e Tip-e 33 al-Mahdi (as) Jahrom (Holding the First Memorial for the Martyrs of Intelligence and Operations Units of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Brigade of Jahrom), 24 Tir 1396, https://www.mehrnews.com/news/4031282
- [34] Khabargozari-e Defa Muqaddas, Yadvareh-ye Shuhada-ye Se Gordane Lashkar-e 33 al-Mahdi (as) takonun Bargozar Shodeh Ast (Memorial for the Martyrs of Three Battalions of the 33rd al-Mahdi (as) Division Has Been Held So Far), 15 Ordibehesht 1403, https://defapress.ir/fa/news/665144
- [35] Markaz-e Asnad-e Enqelab-e Eslami, Ibid.
- [36] Wiki Shahid, Ibid.
