Susangerd, Occupation, Liberation (3)
An interview with Ghodratollah Bahari2015-12-29
● Which day at seven o'clock in the morning?
Eleventh of Mehr 1359, we moved by helicopter toward the enemy. A number of Green Beret forces were also in the helicopter and we met them accidentally. Their commander was a First Lieutenant who became Colonel and then an adviser. We came and reached to Susangerd-Hamidieh road, where we saw Iraqi tanks have mired. They surrounded by water and their crew have fled. We didn’t have anything to do with the mired tanks. They were also no problem for helicopters.
Our helicopters had shot some cars. One of Iraqi’s cars which were full of ammunition had left safe. Near Susangerd, the helicopter came down and dropped off us on the north side of the road which was dry. For dropping off the troops, helicopter turns around itself and raises dust. At the same time, troops get off. They lie down on the ground as soon as getting off, so if enemy is seeing, not finds out how many have lain down and how many have come. The enemy knows that the troops have got off, but not know how many they are. We all got off, including green berets. Their commander was first Lieutenant parsa. Lieutenant parsa along with his troop went toward the tanks which had been by the road and its crew had left, so that, if someone was found, captured them.
● How many were they?
They were eight and we were eleven, including myself. We moved to the Susangerd. We did not have any clashes. Iraqis cars had been left around. A very nice reportage about stuck cars of Iraqis was broadcasted in TV at the same day. It was the first victory that we had got that night. I mean that the mired tanks whose reportage is available in television and radio. When we got close to Susangerd, about 200-300 meters to it, we saw a ‘Jeep Wagoneer’ with four door open at the road. We got ready for engagement. We went forward and saw that no one is inside the car. Two G-3 had been dropped inside. Nobody was there and all had fled. We found that the G-3 is Iranian’s, because Iraqis had no G-3. But whoever they were, obviously were of fifth column. They had come to inform Iraqis that we're coming, and now they have left their car here, dropped their guns and gone. So, now why? Because they couldn’t enter the town with car. Iraqis had made a revetment at the town entrance, so no car entered. They had barricaded. These members of fifth column had found out that they had to turn this side or that side, had abandoned the car and dropped their guns and gone. We, eleven people, entered the town.
● Which direction you entered the town?
From the main asphalted Hamidieh road we entered into Susangerd and still had not been involved with anyone. We got off the helicopter at 7:30 and now it is 8:30 or a quarter to nine and we still haven’t shot anyone and vice versa. I had wondered what their intent was by saying that Susangerd was occupied. We entered Susangerd and went ahead until we reached near a square; close to there the shooting began. We divided in two groups; one group ran toward a dry gutter on the one side of road and took a shelter there by lying down in it, and the other group did it the same on the other side of the road. We saw six tanks in square and a number of Iraqis had stood beside them. Meanwhile, in the center of square, which was circle, there were some flowerbed and platform; and a soldier had stood behind a heavy machine-gun behind the platform and someone give ammunition to him. I mean they were two people who shot us by a machine-gun. But we were in a safe location. All of their shooting would hit the asphalt and ricochet.
● What was your equipment?
We just had rifle and RPG, nothing else. For guerrilla mission, we still hadn’t been equipped with mortar shells. In the guerrilla activities, mortar shell-60 is used. Our equipment was not yet complete. As matter of fact, there was no distance between my arrival to Ahvaz and making a group, and until now that we had confronted with a serious clash. We were not still equipped completely, since one would be equipped due to his needs. The lighter your equipment is as a guerrilla, the better. We have clashed. They shot us and we had to shoot them. Our shoot was useless, but theirs was effective, and forced us to lie down in the gutter. We couldn’t move. Dryness of gutter was the only chance. Genghis Daniali, my soldier, had grown up in Ahvaz, but come from Kerman voluntarily. I said: ‘Genghis! Back me up. Cover me, so I can shoot the machine-gunman.’ He said: ‘yes sir, go ahead.’ I went a little ahead; I came to a crossing between the gutter and square. This gutter led to another crossing. There, if I turned, the machine-gunman didn’t see me. I turned to the right side. I peeped and found out that shooting the machine-gunman isn’t possible, because the platforms completely have covered him. I couldn’t shoot him, unless I go behind him and shoot. I had separated from troop and distanced about thirty meters. I would keep dragging myself in gutter and search for a point in which I can get up and see easier and also move more comfortable. Out of blue, I saw the door of a house was opened and an Arab man was looking at me. I raised my head slowly. He said: ‘What are you doing here?’ I said: ‘I’m of Ahvaz army.’ He said; ‘Ahvaz Army?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He went inside. I said myself they have heard the gunfire noise and clashes and not dare to come out of the house. Perhaps for a moment he had opened the door to see what was going on. I was just in the gutter in front of his house. Less than 10 minutes later, I saw Iraqis were shot from rooftops; I mean that Susangerd natives, those who had stayed in Susangerd and hadn’t left, began to shoot. I don’t know how he informed others? They shot with shotgun, G-3 assault rifle, Vz. 24 rifle, M-1; in fact, everyone opened fire from rooftops with whatever they had.
In a proper opportunity, I swiftly went backward a little more and came out of gutter and reached behind the machine-gunman. That is I crossed the street and went toward the gutter, jumped into it, lay down, settled just behind the machine-gunman and shot him. (Now, I have an official letter that shows I have shot him) After I shot him, enemy’s heavy fire was stopped; because its heavy machine-gun had been paralyzed us. Above rooftops, resident of Susangerd had shot some of Iraqis who had stood next to the tanks; rest of them also had fled.
● Which direction they fled?
Hoveyzeh. They knew their escape route. I quickly got up and asked my troop to go ahead, because they were seeing me. I said: ‘Guys, Run!’ we were able to chase after Iraqis and except two of them that I had shot them before, captured 15 people safely. Maybe they themselves wanted we captured them. Seriously! Some Iraqis had no desire for fighting. But now that they had come and been caught, would prefer to be captured.
● Didn’t tanks move?
As I said before, we were two groups; one group was inside the gutter, the other one went to chase Iraqis. They kept shooting RPG to tanks.
● Didn’t the tanks fire, during this time?
No. it is a good question. One of our goals was that they didn’t get to their tanks. If one of tanks moved, we were finished all. We had clashed with them, so could keep them in the field. The tanks had stopped one after another. We thought that if they get to their tanks, we will be finished. The task of guys, who were into gutter on the other side of street, was just that don’t let Iraqis get to the tanks. And they really did it very well.
Iraqis weren’t native, they were aggressor. Therefore, they feared of both natives and military that had entered the town. They didn’t know that we all just eleven people. They thought that a battalion and a division are behind us. If they knew that we are just 11 people, surly they did differently. In fact, their commander should distinguish that those amount of fires have not any support, so they are a few number. We took over them and didn’t let them to reach a decision. Contribution of Susangerd natives was very effective. That is, their contribution essentially helped us to stand. We took Iraqis to the congregational mosque of Susangerd. When we were taking them to the mosque, I said to the soldiers who shot with RPG: ‘stand there. If you saw that Iraqi soldiers want to attack us, don’t let them at all. Why? Because currently we are just 11 military in Susangerd, but the local people who are helping us. We don’t know where the Iraqis have separated in Susangerd.’ This story is completed by next information. After tanks would be stuck into mud, their crews begin to escape. Anyone who would come to the other, say: ‘run, leave the tank and just run. They are going.’ They meant the same helicopter that we and 8 people else were coming. Cobra helicopters also were shot tanks on the road and this had affected their spirit. So, most of them had left their tanks and gone. Iraqi forces had also fled from Susangerd.
However, these events all back to the people of Susangerd. We couldn’t be successful if Susangerd people didn’t support us. We took the prisoners to the mosque and said: ‘Bring some fabric for covering their eyes. Also bring some rope to tie their hands.’ In the meantime, we saw that people were bringing other prisons to hand over. Who is this? ‘He is responsible for their petrol stations, he is civilian ...’
To be continued…
Susangerd, occupation, Liberation (1)
Susangerd, occupation, Liberation (2)
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