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Gilan-e Gharb
Written by: Milad Moradi, Masoumeh Sajjadian
Translated by: Hadi Qorbanyar
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Located in Kermanshah Province, Gilan-e Gharb is one of the border counties in western Iran. From the very first day of Iraq’s invasion of Iran in September 1980, this county witnessed clashes and conflicts and served as one of the key operational axes in the western part of the country throughout the war.
The county seat of Gilan-e Gharb, situated in the south of Kermanshah Province, is the city of Gilan-e Gharb itself. The county borders Sarpol-e Zahab and Dalahu counties to the north, Eslamabad-e Gharb to the east, Qasr-e Shirin to the west, and Ilam Province to the south. Covering an area of 2,367 square kilometers, it consists of two districts: Central and Gavavar. Most of the county’s population lives in villages and nomadic tribal areas.
In the past, Gilan-e Gharb was known as Amaleh, meaning a gathering place for tribes and clans. During the reign of Reza Shah, due to its resemblance to the dense forests of Gilan, the name was changed to Gilan-e Gharb. The predominant language spoken by the people is Kalhori Kurdish, and they are Shia Muslims. The county’s economy relies primarily on agriculture and animal husbandry.
Among the most important historical sites in the county are: Tappeh Qela (Qaleh) in Gilan-e Gharb city; the shrine of Hazrat Soleiman in the village of Cheleh; the footprint site of Hazrat Abolfazl (as) in the village of Kaleh-Jub Sofla; the footprint site of Imam Muhammad Baqer (as) in the village of Gur-Sefid; and Chehel Tan (Forty Men) in the village of Sarab Murt.[1]
On September 22, 1980, as Saddam’s army launched its full-scale invasion, Iraqi MiG fighters bombed the Vizhnan area in Gilan-e Gharb.[2] Shortly afterward, a combat group from the 1st Armored Brigade of the 81st Armored Division of the Islamic Republic of Iran Army was dispatched to the Gilan-e Gharb–Qasr-e Shirin axis to establish a second defensive line.
A few days later, part of the 285th Battalion of the 2nd Armored Brigade of the Army 81st Division was also sent to Gilan-e Gharb. In coordination with the gendarmerie, the residents of Gilan-e Gharb were mobilized to defend the city. This initiative formed the core of the city’s defense and prevented its fall. After capturing Qasr-e Shirin, the Iraqi 4th Infantry Division moved towards Gilan-e Gharb on the morning of September 27, 1980, in an attempt to seize the area[3] and reached the city’s entrance. Local people halted the advance of the Iraqi mechanized division by diverting water from agricultural canals into the paths used by the tanks.[4]
In the clashes that took place on 28 and 29 September, Army Aviation units joined the fight.[5] Thanks to the resistance put up by the 285th Tank Battalion of the 2nd Armored Brigade of the 81st Division, the gendarmerie, and local volunteers, Iraqi forces were pushed back to the village of Gur-Sefid.[6] On October 2nd, Iraqi forces displaced the residents of several villages in the Gilan-e Gharb area, and local fighters in Gur-Sefid engaged the Iraqis. From October 9th, artillery attacks intensified. For the first time, on October 18, 1980, the Iraqi army targeted Gilan-e Gharb with a medium-range surface-to-surface missile. The missile landed outside residential areas and caused no casualties or damage.[7]
Following the Iraqi attack on Gilan-e Gharb, the city’s population split into several groups: some stayed in the city and fought the enemy with old weapons, while a few were taken prisoner; others sought refuge in the surrounding mountains; and another group pitched tents a short distance from the city, areas that gradually turned into camps. People settled in camps such as Taq-Tuq-e Bala, Taq-Tuq-e Paeen, Dolabi, Pol-e Haji, and Dar-Tut, but they faced serious shortages of water and food.[8]
The women of Gilan-e Gharb stood shoulder to shoulder with their husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons, playing a vital role in halting the Iraqi advance—especially in providing supplies for the popular resistance fronts. Farangis Heydarpour, one of the brave women from the village of Gur-Sefid, single-handedly confronted Iraqi soldiers.[9]
Through the initial resistance of the tribes and residents of Gilan-e Gharb, Iraqi troops were positioned opposite Tang-e Hajian, the village of Gur-Sefid, and the Chaghalvand Heights. Subsequently, the offensive operation at Tang-e Hajian on January 4, 1981, was carried out to push back the Iraqi army from Tang-e Hajian and secure the Gilan-e Gharb axis, in line with the objectives set by the Islamic Republic of Iran Army Ground Forces.[10]
With the offensive operation at Chaghalvand on March 17, 1981, and the subsequent liberation of Chaghalvand Heights, observation and control positions over the Gilan-e Gharb area were established.[11]
Supporting operations in the southern part of the country necessitated disrupting the relative calm in the western region. Accordingly, Operation Matla al-Fajr (Shiakouh) was launched on December 11, 1981, to reduce enemy pressure in the Charmian, Shiakouh, Tang-e Qasemabad, and Gilan-e Gharb (the general Gilan-e Gharb region). Conducted under the command of the Forward Headquarters of the Army Ground Forces, it lasted 27 days.[12]
On 22nd of July 1988, the Iraqi army once again attacked Iran’s borders, advanced as far as Gilan-e Gharb, and occupied the city. However, a few days later, when Operation Mersad was underway, they were forced to withdraw from the central fronts as well as the western part of Iran.[13]
During the Imposed War, Gilan-e Gharb County was subjected to repeated bombardments, resulting in 700 martyrs, 2,270 wounded, and 133 prisoners of war.[14]
On November 12, 2017, a major earthquake struck Kermanshah Province, causing extensive damage to Gilan-e Gharb as well.[15]
Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, in recognition of the sacrifices made by the people of Gilan-e Gharb during the days of the Imposed War, has described this city as the second most resilient city in Iran.[16]
[1] Pourjabbari, Pezhman, Atlas-e Joghrafiya-ye Hamasi: Kermanshah dar Jang (Atlas of Epic Geography: Kermanshah in the War), Vol. 2, Tehran: Bonyad-e Hefz-e Asar va Nashr-e Arzeshha-ye Defa Muqaddas, 1392, Pp. 203–206.
[2] Ansari, Mahdi; Yekta, Hussain, Ruzshomar-e Jang-e Iran va Araq, ketab-e chaharom: Hojum-e Srasari (Chronology of the Iran–Iraq War, Book Four: The All-Out Offensive), Tehran: Markaz-e Motaleat va Tahqiqat-e Jang-e Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami, chap-e dovvom, 1375, p. 48.
[3] Tamari, Muhammad-Reza, Gilan-e Gharb dar Jang (Gilan-e Gharb in the War), Tehran: Markaz-e Asnad-e Enqelab-e Eslami, 1392, Pp. 22–26.
[4] Parashvar, Behzad; Parashvar, Hussain, Shohada-ye Dovvomin Shahr-e Moqavem-e Keshvar, Gilan-e Gharb (Martyrs of Gilan-e Gharb, the Second Resistant City of the Country), Kermanshah: Nashr-e Moallefin, 1389, p. 7.
[5] Tamari, Muhammad-Reza, Gilan-e Gharb dar Jang (Gilan-e Gharb in the War), Pp. 29, 32.
[6] Ibid., Pp. 28–30.
[7] Ibid., Pp. 34, 38.
[8] Ibid., Pp. 118–119.
[9] Ibid., Pp. 89–91.
[10] Jafari, Mojtaba, Atlas-e Nabardha-ye Mandegar: Amaliyat-e Niruha-ye Zamini dar Hasht Sal Defa Muqaddas (Atlas of Enduring Battles: Ground Forces Operations during the Eight Years of the Sacred Defense), Tehran: Sureh-ye Sabz, 1383, p. 36.
[11] Ibid., p. 43.
[12] Ibid., p. 66.
[13] Ibid., Pp. 152–154.
[14] Parashvar, Behzad; Parashvar, Hussain, Shohada-ye Dovvomin Shahr-e Moqavem-e Keshvar, Gilan-e Gharb (Martyrs of Gilan-e Gharb, the Second Resistant City of the Country), p. 184.
[15] Ruznameh-ye Sharq (Sharq Newspaper), No. 3011, 23 Aban 1396, p. 13.
[16] Parashvar, Behzad; Parashvar, Hussain, Shohada-ye Dovvomin Shahr-e Moqavem-e Keshvar, Gilan-e Gharb (Martyrs of Gilan-e Gharb, the Second Resistant City of the Country), p. 2.
