Seyyed of Quarters 15 (13)

Memories of Iranian Released POW, Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan

2017-1-7

Seyyed of Quarters 15

Memories of Iranian Released POW, Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan

Edited and Compiled by: Sassan Nateq

Tehran, Sooreh Mehr Publications Company

‎2016 (Persian Version)‎

Translated by: Zahra Hosseinian

At the beginning of 1988, no good news was heard from the front. Iraqis had operations in the Faw[1], Shalamcheh[2] and Majnun Islands[3] and taken back the region from the Iranian forces. We spent days with bad news until Iran accepted the Resolution[4] and ceasefire was declared in the region. It was commanded that we went back one line and took only individual equipment with ourselves. Some fighters were happy and said the war has been over and we will return to our homes very soon. As delivering his grenades to the armory, one of fighters said: "we go back to rest, because ceasefire has been declared."

"Still nothing is clear. It is better to take our own stuff and equipment." I said.

Another fighter said: "It was over, Seyyed."

• We shouldn’t underestimated the enemy …

I had not still finished my speech, when he said: "I told you it was over, Seyyed. Now stop preaching!"
They considered me as a clergyman who is chanting and preaching them. I did not deliver my RPG. I also put the eight grenades of my RPG in my backpack and said, "I am not with you, and don’t give my RPG and its grenades."

My reason was that we must be prepared to protect ourselves until a definitive order has not been issued. Nazarabadi had the same idea. "Load the truck up with the ammunition inside the dump. We should take them with ourselves." Turning to the soldiers, I said.

We moved from Qasr-e Shirin around afternoon. After a few kilometers, we got off in front of Qasr-e Shirin radio station and near Bazideraz Mountain, in a great plain. The tank battalion wasn’t far away us. No trenches were seen. It was a wide open region and remote areas could be seen easily.

At 6:30 Pm of 22^nd July, suddenly everything ended in chaos. Iraqis broke the cease-fire and fired the region. The volume of fire was incredible. They were leaving no stone unturned. Iraqi armored forces were coming quickly toward us from the Qasr-e Shirin. There was a strategic bridge over the river of Qasr-e Shirin, which was supposed to be exploded after we passed it to prevent Iraqis’ possible penetration; but the raid of Iraqis tanks showed us it has not been explode. Suddenly, we realized that hypocrites are accompanied by Iraqis. We were in a great siege through the invasion of Iraq and the hypocrites.

Captain Mohammadi was the commander of the second tank company in armored battalion. Captain Ra’afat and Captain Mohammadi had deployed the second tank company of armored battalion on a large hill overlooking the Gilan-e Gharb to Qasr-e Shirin road. Iraqi tanks were approaching moment by moment. The commanders of battalions and companies weren’t there and I just saw the commander of platoon. He was taking every risk. He went this side and that side stooping and said, "Let's wait until they approach us."

There was no place to seek shelter. We had barricaded ourselves behind the thorns and rocks and let our eyes rest on the army of Iraqi tanks, which were raising dust and advancing. Behind the tanks, their foot soldiers were running and approached. One of fighters had lain on my right side and aimed them with his weapon. His ammunition was just three cartridge-boxes and his weapon was armed with one of them. He raised his head and shoulders. He looked at the front and said, "O Abolfazl."

The soldier who had taken refuge next to me, tidied his iron helmet and said, "as if it was supposed that we play the role of bait!"

Bait or anything else, we had been stuck in a bad situation. We fired uncontrollably, when the tanks came into the range. Artillery barrage of tank battalion caused the pace of Iraqi tanks decreased. After each shot, fighters changed their places and took refuge behind the groove and rocks. The roar of tank shots filled the region and we felt the heat waves of them on our face. The corps of heavy machine gun on the tanks shot relentlessly and did not get a chance to us to raise and fire back. It was cannonaded behind me, as soon as I moved. I was filled with anxiety and concern. After each shot, I glanced my eye down the rest of RPG grenades and said to myself, "what should I do if the grenades run out?"

Hit-and-run fighting continued until sunset and with our firing and the tank battalion’s firing, the Iraqis couldn’t progress. Several tanks of enemy were destroyed on the road, and Iraqis were paralyzed.

The region was submerged in silence. Our deployment had been disordered. I felt exhaustion in my legs and thought my feet has swollen and didn’t fit in my shoes. My mouth had bad tasting. It was like a handful of soil had been sprinkled into my mouth. I took a sip from my canteen. Suddenly, I struck that I haven’t performed my prayer. I had some water in my canteen and couldn’t bring myself to perform dry ablution. I performed ablution with the reminder water of my canteen. Then, I got up hardly and prayed.

Our fighters had no energy. Everyone sat down wherever they were; and ate and gave any food supplies they had in their backpack to others.

I did not realize when I fell asleep. I opened my eyes with the first rays of sun on my face. I had a lump in the throat when I saw my RPG without any grenades. Spontaneously, I stretched my hand and take my canteen, but it was empty. For a moment, it reminds me the helpless and thirsty households of Imam Hussein (AS) and the image of looting tents shaped in my mind. Now we had no ammunition and no food supplies and no force that come to help us. No doubt we all badly injured with the first attack of Iraqi tanks.

A piece of paper had stuck on a thorn shrub. I picked it up and wrote: "I’m Seyyed Jamal Setarehdan. We have caught in the siege of Iraqis and may be killed."

I threw the paper on the ground, so the wind blew it wherever it could. I said to myself: "Maybe our forces see it and come to help."

Suddenly, Iraqis began to fire from several directions. Seeing the shots, I guessed that Iraqis have probably carried their troops by a helicopter[5]. Exhausted and without any energy, we helped the wounded and gained distanced from there limping. I do not know on which direction we went, but we should get away from Iraqis. We were like a caravan which had lost its direction and spun around itself. Uncontrollably we gained distance from the conflict zone, and every now and then, we heard the sound of firing and explosion from here and there. I had concentrated carefully to inform others, as soon as Iraqis appeared.

To be continued….