Fakkeh is a desert region located in the northwestern part of Khuzestan Province and the southeastern part of Ilam Province. In the early days of the Iran-Iraq War, the area fell into enemy hands. Throughout the war, part of this region remained under Iranian control while another part was occupied by Iraq.

Fakkeh is bordered by Chazabeh and Bostan to the south, the Mishdagh and Reqabiyeh heights to the east, Ein-Khosh and Musian to the northwest, Barqazeh to the northeast, and Iraq’ s Al-Amarah Governorate to the west. The region is divided into two parts: northern and southern Fakkeh. The southern Fakkeh is in Khuzestan Province, in Dasht‑e Azadegan County, while the northern part is in Ilam Province and belongs to Dehloran County.⁠[1]

The Fakkeh region is a sandy landscape, with shifting dunes, rolling sandy hills, and wide areas of desert land. In southern Fakkeh, dunes and shifting sands are more prevalent, making movement extremely difficult. In contrast, the northern part contains land with natural soil suitable for cultivation. There are a few villages in southern Fakkeh, where only a small number of nomadic tribes live. However, thanks to better soil quality, the Dowrij River, and seasonal rainfall, a few villages exist in northern Fakkeh.⁠[2]

Before the outbreak of the Iran– Iraq War, a border outpost existed in southern Fakkeh at the end of the Chenaneh– Fakkeh Road, located in an open plain opposite the Iraqi al-Fakkeh Outpost.⁠[3] On September 16, 1980, this outpost was targeted by Iraq. Iraqi armored and artillery attacks on the outpost continued until September 21, when they encountered resistance from the Susangerd Regiment and a combat group from the 37th Armored Brigade of Shiraz.⁠[4]

When Iran invaded Iran, Fakkeh became one of the main axes of the Iraqi army’ s attacks against northern Khuzestan. The Iraqi 1st Mechanized Division was tasked with advancing through Fakkeh toward the Karkheh River and the city of Shush. After crossing the Karkheh River and cutting the Ahvaz– Andimeshk Road, it was to complete the encirclement of Ahvaz from the north.⁠[5] Despite the resistance of a combat group from the 37th Armored Brigade of Shiraz, the Fakkeh Outpost fell on September 23, and by September 26, the Fakkeh region had been occupied by the Iraqi 1st Mechanized Division.⁠[6]

With the execution of Operation Fath al-Mubin, the areas west of Andimeshk, Dezful, and Shush were liberated; however, part of Fakkeh remained under enemy control. During the war, two major operations— Valfajr-e Muqaddamati and Valfajr 1— as well as two limited-scale ones— Zafar 4 and Ashura 3— were conducted in the Fakkeh region.

Operation Valfajr-e Muqaddamati, aimed at capturing the Ghazileh Bridge and reaching the city of Al-Amarah, was launched on February 6, 1983, in southern Fakkeh. Due to numerous obstacles including extensive minefields, dense barbed-wire barriers, canals, the long distance from the release point to enemy positions, the sandy terrain that slowed troop movement, incomplete clearing operations, lack of coordination between the two flanks, as well as the darkness of night and the absence of moonlight, Iranian forces were unable to fully achieve the objectives of the first phase of the operation.

Operation Valfajr 1 was launched on April 10, 1983, in northern Fakkeh to put pressure on the city of Al-Amarah. After several days of fighting, the operation ended without achieving its intended goals.⁠[7]

The limited-scale operations Zafar 4 (July 1, 1985) and Ashura 3 (August 16, 1985) were also carried out in the Fakkeh region to destroy enemy combat units, but they resulted in no notable military gains.⁠[8] Until 1986, most of the Fakkeh region remained under Iranian control. On April 30, 1986, the Iraqi army attacked Iranian positions in the Fakkeh and advanced approximately seven kilometers. Two days later, Iranian forces launched a counterattack to liberate the occupied parts of the region. However, poor coordination between the assault battalions kept the operation from achieving its goals, and the attacking units only managed to stop the enemy from pushing further. On May 20, because their defensive lines were vulnerable, Iraqi troops withdrew to their previous positions.⁠[9]

On July 12, 1988, the Iraqi army once again attacked Iranian positions in Fakkeh. After moving into Iranian territory and taking prisoners as well as military equipment, the Iraqi forces retreated to the border heights.⁠[10] The Fakkeh border outpost remained under enemy occupation until the end of the war.

With the end of the war and the enemy’ s withdrawal to the internationally recognized borders, the occupied areas of the Fakkeh were liberated. After the war, and beginning in early 1991, teams started working to recover the bodies of martyrs left in this region. Units that had earlier operated in the Fakkeh region set up bases there and began searching for the bodies of the martyrs.⁠[11]

On January 29, 1983, Hassan Baqeri (Gholamhussain Afshordi), together with Majid Baqaei and several commanders, arrived in the Fakkeh region to carry out a reconnaissance of the heights. While they were on a hill on the left side of the Nahr-e Shakheh canal near the Dowrij River, observing the area from inside a bunker and comparing the maps with the terrain, a 120‑mm mortar round hit their position. As a result of the explosion, Hassan Baqeri, Majid Baqaei, and three others were martyred.⁠[12]

Several members of the search teams who were looking for the bodies of martyrs in the Fakkeh region were also martyred. Among them were Seyyed Ali Mousavi, Ali Mahmoudvand, Majid Pazouki, Mahmoud Gholami, Saeed Shahedi, Abbas Saberi, and Hussain Saberi. In addition, on April 9, 1993, Seyyed Morteza Avini and Saeed Yazdanparast — while filming the documentary series “ Revayat-e Fath” — were martyred in this region after a landmine explosion.⁠[13]

The Fakkeh Martyrs’ Site (Maqtal-e Shuhada) is located between the Fakkeh Outpost and Chazabeh, to the west of Tavousiyeh Outpost, about three kilometers from the Fakkeh– Chazabeh Road. At this site, a section of the land has been preserved in its original sandy condition and enclosed with barbed wire, marking it off as a safe passage from the surrounding contaminated areas. Every year, people who take part in the Rahian‑e Noor caravans visit this site, and many others come during the month of Muharram as well.⁠[14]