Part of Morteza Ghorbani memoirs

The first phase of the Muharram Operation

Selected by: Faezeh Sassanikha
Translated By Mandana Karimi

2025-9-12

This operation began on the 10th of Muharram (October 28, 1982) with the code "Ya Zainab, may God bless her." We announced this code to the commanders of the battalions and units via wireless as follows: "There is no power or strength except in Allah, the Most High, the Most Great, Ya Zainab, Ya Zainab, may God bless her." This operation was carried out in three stages. Hussein Kharrazi, commander of the 14th Division of Imam Hussein (AS), and his forces were to advance from the lower heights towards the Sharhani outpost, and there they clashed with the enemy at the beginning of the Hamrin heights before the Sharhani outpost. We also clashed with the Iraqis on our own border line, which was fifteen kilometers deep, and in the first stage we captured part of the middle part of these heights, which was part of our division's mission. In the second stage, we captured another part of the heights of the central and northern front of the operational area, and in the third stage, we advanced about twenty kilometers into Iraqi territory and captured and secured the asphalt road between Iraq and the city of Zubaydah, and joined with the 17th and 8th divisions.

The first stage lasted 24 hours; that is, on the first day and night of the operation, we consolidated our positions, neutralized minefields, cleared and secured roads and paths on the following day and night. By the 11th of Muharram, we had cleared the minefields. The right-wing forces under the command of Jawad Eslami were able to destroy the enemy, clear the heights, and establish themselves in the captured positions. Since the 8th Najaf Division on the northern flank had not been able to fully capture and secure its objectives, our forces were threatened from the right flank. Therefore, the continuation of the operation in depth depended on the advance and attachment of the battalions of the 8th Najaf Division. Because the left-wing forces under the command of Abbas Jafari had good information and had scouted the area, they achieved their objectives in a short time, destroyed the enemy, captured several Iraqis, and established themselves in their line. In fact, they kept their promise. When we were saying the secret and sending five Salawats, Mozdastan - may God have mercy on him - was from Qaemshahr and a very intelligent, religious, and brave young man. Before the operation, we would go on reconnaissance with him and Abbas Jafari. He would say: "Haji Agha, when you say the secret, send three Salawats, and I will break the line and destroy the enemy." I said five Salawats, and God willing, it was over. The center wing forces under the command of Qasemi were also supposed to join with Islami and Jafari on the heights of Hamrin. Thank God, they quickly broke the line and completely joined on the very first night. The troops and commanders worked hard and conducted a thorough reconnaissance of the enemy's positions. They fought like Husayn in the Muharram operation that took place in the month of Muharram and were victorious.

Ten kilometers from our line, the enemy could not even fire a bullet at our fighters in the front line. Our forces in the front line, shouting "Husayn or Zainab", destroyed the Iraqis in the blink of an eye and moved forward, but the enemy had created a second line in Aqaba so that if the first line forces fled, the deterrent forces would act in the rear. They only resisted when our fighters went towards them and destroyed them, and on the very first night, they took a number of prisoners. However, it took a long time for us to join the 8th Najaf Division. To join this division, we first moved our forces one kilometer to the Najaf Division.

Source: Razzaqzadeh, Amir, Tarikh-e Shafahi Defa Moqadas be revayate Morteza Qorbani (Oral History of the Sacred Defense Narrated by Morteza Qorbani), Volume One: Dar Masir-e Piroozi (On the Path to Victory), Tehran: Sacred Defense Documentation and Research Center, 2019, p. 445.