Sites
Karkheh Garrison
Maryam Latifi
14 دورہ
Karkheh Garrison is located 20 kilometers from Andimeshk, on the eastern bank of the Karkheh River. During the Iran-Iraq War, it served as the logistical base and coordination hub for the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Karkheh Garrison was built by the 92nd Armored Division of the Army between 1970 and 1976. It was located on the eastern bank of the Karkheh River, north of the Karkheh Bridge. In 1973, with the formation of the 212th Armored Cavalry Battalion in Ahvaz, the unit was stationed at this garrison. In 1979, when the 212th Battalion was redeployed to Sistan and Baluchestan Province, the 2nd Brigade of the 92nd Armored Division took charge of Karkheh Garrison.[1] Later in 1979, following the establishment of the IRGC in Dezful, the garrison was handed over to the Dezful IRGC, after which it was used for training the IRGC forces from Dezful and other cities of Khuzestan Province. Later, it served as the base of the IRGC Operations Unit of Dezful.[2]
With the start of the war and the Iraqis’ advance along the Fakkeh, Shoush, and Dezful axis, Karkheh Garrison came under heavy enemy fire. On October 3, 1980, due to the intensity of the attacks, the garrison was evacuated, with only a small number of forces remaining to guard the area.[3]
After Operation Fath al-Mubin and the liberation of the western lands of the Karkheh River, the garrison was no longer within enemy fire range. It was subsequently handed over to the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division (formerly the 7th Resistance Brigade of Dezful), which had been formed and temporarily based at Do-Kouheh Garrison in January 1982. Because Karkheh Garrison had been under direct enemy fire for 18 months, its buildings were damaged. These were repaired when the 7th Division moved in and began organizing its structure.[4]
Afterwards, Karkheh Garrison became the logistical and organizational base of the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division. The garrison had various sections such as a morning assembly field, storage warehouses, a kitchen, logistics and propaganda units, sleeping quarters for the troops, a vehicle repair garage, and ammunition depots.[5] However, it could only house one battalion; thus, the division’s forces had to set up tents in the camp yard.
With the promotion of the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Brigade to the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division in early 1983, it was decided that once Basij forces joined its battalions, they should not stay inside the garrison. Instead, they would set up temporary camps behind Karkheh Garrison. There is a horseshoe-shaped valley to the north of the garrison, with both ends leading to the Karkheh River. At first, the battalions had no permanent bases, but as their numbers increased, each settled behind the Karkheh Garrison.[6]
The 7th Vali-Asr (as) Brigade—later reorganized as the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division—was deployed from Karkheh Garrison to participate in a series of major operations, including Beit al-Muqaddas, Ramazan, Preliminary Valfajr, Valfajr 1, Kheibar, Badr, Valfajr 8, Karbala 4 and 5, Nasr 4 and 8, Valfajr 10, and Beit al-Muqaddas 7.[7]
Abdolmuhammad Raoufinejad was the garrison commander from the time the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Brigade was stationed there until the end of the Iran–Iraq War.[8] Afterwards, different commanders took charge of Karkheh Garrison one after another, including Abdolkarim Fazilatpour, Habibollah Saeidifar, Hassan Shahvarpour, Abdolmuhammad Kouchak, Rahman Pourjavadi, Ali Rajabi, and Ali Najafvand.[9]
After the war, the 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division was relocated to Ahvaz, with only its 3rd Brigade remaining in Karkheh Garrison. From 2010 to 2016, Imam Mahdi (as) People-Based Brigade of Khuzestan IRGC, operating under the command of the Vali-Asr (as) IRGC Unit, was based at Karkheh Garrison. From 2017 to 2019, Karkheh Garrison served as the base of the Imam Mahdi (as) Infantry Brigade, which operated under the IRGC Ground Forces. In 2020, it was upgraded to the Imam Mahdi (as) Ranger Brigade. As of 2024, it remains stationed at Karkheh Garrison under the command of Second Brigadier General Ali Najafvand.[10]
[1] Hussaini, Seyyed Yaqoub, Lashkar 92 Zerehi dar Sal-e Aval-e Jang-e Tahmili (92nd Armored Division in the First Year of the Imposed War), Tehran, Iran Sabz, 1391, Pp. 46; Zargar, Gholam-Hussain, Defa Muqaddas va Artesh dar Ostan-e Sistan va Balouchestan (Sacred Defense and the Army in Sistan and Baluchestan Province), Tehran, Iran Sabz, 1398, Pp. 11, 80.
[2] Saleminejad, Abdolreza, Dezful – Gozareshi az Shahr-e Moqavem-e Dezful dar Jang-e Shahrha 1359–1367 (Dezful – A Report on the Resilient City of Dezful during the Urban War 1980–1988), Tehran, Markaz-e Asnad va Tahqiqat-e Defa Muqaddas-e Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Eslami, 1397, Pp. 74, 79, 80.
[3] Ansari, Mahdi & Hussain Yekta, Rouzshomar-e Jang-e Iran va Araq – Hojoum-e Serasari, Ketab-e Chaharom (Chronology of the Iran–Iraq War – The Full-Scale Invasion, Book Four), Tehran, Markaz-e Motaleat va Tahqiqat-e Jang-e Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Eslami, 2nd ed., 1375, Pp. 26, 272; Latifi, Maryam, Andimeshk dar Jang-e Araq Alayhe Iran (Andimeshk in the Iraq–Iran War), Tehran, Niloofaran, 1391, p. 83; Kouchak, Abdolmuhammad, Atlas-e Lashkar-e 7 Vali-Asr (as) dar Doran-e Defa-e Muqaddas (Atlas of 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division during the Sacred Defense), Tehran, Markaz-e Asnad va Tahqiqat-e Defa Muqaddas-e Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enghelab-e Eslami, 1398, p. 16.
[4] Saleminejad, Abdolreza, Fatehan-e Shalamche – Negahi be Hozour-e Hemaasi-ye Lashkar-e 7 Hazrat-e Vali-Asr (as) dar Hasht Sal Defa Muqaddas, Vol. 2 (Conquerors of Shalamcheh – A Look at the Heroic Presence of 7th Vali-Asr (as) Division in the Eight-Year Sacred Defense), Tehran, Niloofaran, 1394, Pp. 31, 32, 58, 74; Kouchak, Abdolmohammad, Ibid., Pp. 16, 17.
[5] Saleminejad, Abdolreza, Ibid., Pp. 31, 32, 58, 59, 68.
[6] Latifi, Maryam, Hamqadam ba Setareha – Tarikh-e Shafahi-ye Jang-e Araq Alayhe Iran dar Goftogou ba Sartip Pasdar Abbas Eidi (Alongside the Stars – An Oral History of the Iran–Iraq War in Conversation with Brigadier General Abbas Eidi), Andimeshk, Tolou-e Ghadir, 1398, p. 70.
[7] Kouchak, Abdolmohammad, Ibid., Pp. 21, 27.
[8] Ibid., p. 27.
[9] Mosahebeh-ye Negarandeh ba Sarhang-e Pasdar Ali Taheri (The Author’s Interview with Colonel Ali Taheri), Dey 1401.
[10] Mosahebeh-ye Negarandeh ba Sarhang-e Pasdar Ahmad Mohajer (The Author’s Interview with Colonel Ahmad Mohajer), Dey 1401.
