The reminiscence of commander in the 16th congress of Ansar battalion

As if it was the night of operation

Mehdi Khanbanpoor
Translated by Fazel Shirzad

2016-12-25

Note: The sixteenth congress of 27^th division of Mohammad prophet's (PBHM) Ansar battalion was held at Andisheh saloon of Art Center on Thursday evening on 25^th Azar 1395 (12^th December 2016). The reporter of Iranian oral history site writes a report about the congress as follows.

On Thursday evening, when I arrived at the yard of Art center, there were some tents drew the attention of everybody. The tents were remainders for days of sacrifice and martyrdom. But, the tents, instead of written by the fighter of advertising unit as the days of war, they were decorated by banners.  The banners don’t efface the sincerity and familiarity of fighters in those days. In the near of gate of the yard, there was a tent made to grant some cultural package consist of competition paper, song paper, personal information application , a magazine and a notebook.

The best days of life

I read accurately the manuscripts written on the tents: "martyrdom battalion", "advertising section" Salavati station"," Salavati photograph" etc. the word Salavati is an attractive nostalgic word for the generation of Jihad and sacrifice. But, there were the known sherbet and plastic caps of wartime at Salavati station. Cakes and chocolate milk were provided to welcome gusts entering into saloon, there was also a booth of Salavati polish for its special clients.

   Yesterday, the fighters came there, but they weren’t as youthful as past few years. It didn’t means they were feeble and torpid rather they came to congress energetically, but their white hair marked a new appearance for them, there was also a difference; the fighters didn’t come to congress of battalion alone, but they came there with families such as wife, children, daughters in law and sons in law.  

All visited together in the congress. The audience hugged each other as if it was the night of operation." Haven’t you seen each other for a long time?" I asked them. "Not long time, I visited each other in the board last week" One of them replied. As you said, you visited each other in the last week, now you kissed each other warmly." I said. He replied humorously and seriously: "what do you know? We were always together for some years. It is intolerable for us not to see each other just for short time."

There was a fighter of war standing front of culture of collective photos banners and photo of battalion's martyrs, and it drew my attention.  

Two women and men, it was clear one of them was the son of family and another as a new comer son in law, were standing by him. He was speaking with a marvelous feeling.

I watched the photos of battalion martyrs one by one, and I walked to mosque Ayatollah Khamenei at yard of Art center. I heard the sound of Maghrib adhan .It was time to pray. All of fighters of war gathered at the mosque in memoriam of prayers behind of bulwark in frontage of war. I prayed next to the fighter of war who had decreased the distance between afterlife and life in this world.

To remind memoirs

The saloon was crowding little by little. The fighters' population was on the increase as much as a battalion. Most audience were seeking a person, and wanted to visit him; is here hajji? Did you see hajji" " I asked someone: " who is hajji? Why are people seeking him?"." They are seeking General Hajj Jafar Aghili Muhtasham who was the commander of Ansar battalion" he replied. Therefore, I realized who hajji is. Hajji was as older brother of friends. I had an interest in visiting him. I found him by the friends, and said him:" hi hajji!" can I take your time for some minutes." He admitted kindly.

You were the commonder of Ansar battalion. Weren’t you?

(Smilingly) yeah, God willing.

Since when?

Since beginning of war. I think I was responsible for Ansar battalion until 1361(1983).

Which operation were you in command of the battalion in?

I was responsible for the battalion since operation Muslim ibn Aqil.

Today (Thursday, 25^th Ansar 1395) what will be happened?

Today, the 16^th anniversary of martyrs of Ansar battalion will be held here. During a year, the friend plan to hold a congress, as today, to have family of martyrs and injured attended in.

Whom are invited to the congress?

The family of martyrs and injured and also fighters of Ansar battalion are invited in this congress is an opportunity for someone, who didn’t come to the board of battalion, to visit each other, and it is a chance to visit the big family of Ansar battalion.

So, is there any board for Ansar battalion?

Yes. There is a board, named Zahra (PBHM), is holding at end of every months. The members of board read the Quran, pray Tavasol prayer, speech and meal. This congress is also an annual program. There is also a plan to make pilgrimage to Mashhad city collectively. To keep alive the memoirs of martyrs is the main goal the plans. The martyrs were dear to me as a brother, because we lived together during eight years of sacred defense.

Hajji, tell me a memoir please!

There are lots of memoir. I have a memoir about operation valfajr 4. I was also the commander of Ansar battalion. The operation was occurred at Penjwin District (it was a small city in province Sulaymaniyah of Kurdistan). We situated in an area there was a small stream. We were able to hear the sound of water. There were also some pine trees. I stopped the fighters there to receive a command from high ranks. I located the fighters among the trees and some hills. Finally we were commanded to come back where engineering unit of division made a bulwark there. I put the fighters on a rank and came back slowly from middle of Iraqi ambush.

The foremost bulwark

In the fights and walks nightly, we habituated the fights to carry some sacks to make bulwark. When we arrived, we saw some bulldozers of division were making bulwark there. All of us went behind of the bulwark. Then we situated there. We were commanded to move ahead, where the engineering unit had made a new bulwark, to make a bulwark by the socks. We discharged the socks, and moved ahead to make a bulwark again. For third time, we were commanded to move ahead where martyr Sabori had made a bulwark. It made very sad. I was worried for the fighters because they were tired. When we were commanded for third time to move ahead, I replied: " Oh no, the fighters are tired!" Hajj Reza Destvareh spoke with me by wireless and said that you should move ahead again, and I didn’t agree with him. Hajj Hemmat realized the problem and took the wireless receiver and said. "Mohtashami!  It is a military command; you should move ahead." "Yes. Sir" I replied. I discharged my four socks. The fighters said me:" Hajji! What are you doing? " . I want to go the foremost bulwark" I said" whoever want to come with me, let's go!" The fighters looked at me and realized that I had received a common from high rank. Then the fighters also discharge the socks and we walked forward to locate in a determined situation.

We stayed there for one or days. I was walking along a line and visited and watched the fighters regularly. One of the fighters said me." Hajji! Someone was coming here in front. We stopped him." I went on the bulwark and saw someone, who his legs are cut, was coming toward us; he had united his bootlace and tied it around the upper part of knee. He had crawled at nights and stopped in the days; because, if he moved during day, the Iraqi fighters would shoot him. There was stream in his direction; and because he was not able to jump over the stream, he was forced to make a symbol there not be lost. Then he had moved along the stream to find lowest width of it and came back to symbol, then move toward own forces.  It is easy to tell, but difficult practically. While he was clawing, he dragged bootlace was tied with his knee to move easily his injured foot. I send some of the fighting to help him. When I arrived him, I said: "what are you doing? What's up?"."  It is full of adventure" he replied. The friends carried him to ambulance to come him back.

Do you have any news of him?

No. unfortunately have never heard a news about him since those days.

What happened after transferring him back?

Tomorrow night. I saw two fighters were coming toward us. One was carrying another one on shoulders and coming close to Iranian forces. I found one of them was injured by quiver in his eyes and became blind, and the foot of another one was cut. It was one of memoirs about operation Valfajr 4 are remained in my mind.

All of family is invited

When I said goodbye with Hajj Aghil Mohtasham and left there. The yard of the Art Center was full of people. One of the people of Ansar Battalion was more active than after. I meet him and said: "hello!"

Can you introduce yourself!

I'm Hussein Khoshbin.

What is your responsibility in this congress? 

God willing, I am secretary for 16^th anniversary of 27^th division of Mohammad prophet's ( PBHM) Ansar battalion

Is congress holding every year?

Yes, god help us to hold the congress this year; the 16^th congress is holding here.

What's the goal of such plans?

To promote the culture of sacrifice and martyrdom for present generation and third generation of Islamic revolution to be familiar with martyrs and fighters and to keep alive the name of the friends and also to hold honor family of martyrs.

What plans do you prepare for the congress today?

Song, theater, competition and speech of Shabani about the issue of Syria.

How do you welcome gusts?

Praise the lord, as we don’t have good advertising and television announcement, and praise the lord, about one thousands of fighters, injured and family of martyr gather here.

Who are family of injured and fighters?

"It means, all members of family are invited to congress. Besides wife and children, daughter in law, son in law and grandson of martyrs and fighters are also invited to.

Were you a member of the battalion?

Yes, God willing, I was member of battalion during sacred defense.

When I said Hussein khoshbin to tell a memoir, he fenced as other fighters of war, and replied: "I don’t have memoir."

The congress was started at 7:00 p.m. Administer began the congress telling a story; a story of a father who his three sons were martyred in the war and Islamic revolution of Iran. It was story of Bakeri's family. The congress was kept in memoriam of immortal martyr; it was done to remember the martyrs who have been come back or have never been identified, and buried as anonymous martyrs.

Hajj Ghassem Ghurbani was the first gust invited to speech at congress. He was also the son of martyr and brother of martyr and also was one of the commander of Ansar battalion. He praised God for holding anniversary of martyr unceasingly and every year, and he found it is as an attention from God. The next place was about the memoirs of some of fighters of Ansar battalion and they remember the frontage of sacred defense.

General Shabani was another lecturer invited to the congress. He said: "I hope that Mosul city of Iraq will be freed by Islamic fighters completely, and whatever we have is achieved from blood of martyr. The young fighters of Iran also showed your resistance on another side of Iran's boarders."

Hassan Fedayan performed a piece of music in continue of congress related fighters, a collective song of Ansar battalion was performed by audience, and it made an interestingly atmosphere in the saloon. A play was also performed in the field of sacred defense. At the end of congress, the family of martyrs and fighters of Ansar battalion were held in honor, and some gifts were given to winners of the competition.

The attachment for this report of 16th congress of Ansar battalion's fighters is a video narration by writer of the report. Watch!