The Commencement of the Imposed War on September 22, 1980

Narration from Fathollah Jafari
Selected by Fariba Almasi
Translated by Kianoush Borzouei

2024-9-30

The first significant maneuver by the Ba'athist Iraqi regime in the Dezful region was the obliteration of the radar positioned atop the Abu Salibi Khat heights. At precisely 4:16 AM on September 22, 1980, the radar was targeted and demolished, thereby incapacitating its ability to monitor the dawn of that fateful final summer day. To ensure complete destruction, the Iraqi warplanes returned at 6:40 PM on the same day. They bombarded the site once more, clearing the path for their military aircraft to penetrate deep into Iranian territory without any hindrance.

Before Iraq’s invasion of Iranian soil, the 10th Armored Division of Iraq, along with its 17th and 42nd Armored Brigades, the 24th Mechanized Brigade, the Al-Nasr Reconnaissance Battalion, and its artillery and 10th Engineering Battalion, commenced their advance from Amarah, the capital of Maysan Province in Iraq, towards the borders. This division was to traverse the Ramaila Bridge in Maysan Province and ready itself for the offensive on the border regions. The survey of southern Iran was assigned to the Al-Nasr Battalion, while the task of occupying the border outposts was given to the 17th Armored Brigade. The demarcation line for the 10th Armored Division and the 1st Mechanized Division extended from the Safarijeh outpost in the north of Chazabeh to Changuleh in the north of Dehloran, both divisions being under the command of Iraq's Third Corps.

Consequently, the commander of Iraq's Third Corps arrived at the headquarters of the 1st Mechanized Division to finalize the coordination for the invasion of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Third Corps verbally communicated the schedule for the Ba'athist Iraqi Army's attack to its division commanders: at precisely 12:30 PM on September 22, 1980, corresponding to September 22, 1980, Iraq initiated its aerial assault, formally declaring war against the Iranian nation. The ground units commenced their movements and assumed an attack formation along the entire international border at 12:45 PM, with the brigades advancing toward their designated targets at 4:00 PM.

That evening, the Iraqi Ba'ath Army deployed its 1st and 10th Divisions along a front stretching from Safarijeh to Changuleh, launching their attack at 5:00 AM on September 23, 1980. The Rabut border outpost was the first to fall at 5:30 AM, with all its personnel taken captive. Subsequently, on the same day, without encountering any resistance from Iranian forces, Iraq's 17th Armored Brigade occupied the Cham-Sari outpost, located east of the Doyrej River. Border outposts from Chazabeh to Changuleh, considered part of Khuzestan's military jurisdiction, were seized by the Ba'athist aggressors in the war's initial days. Outposts such as Subeleh, Safarijeh, Rashidieh, Tawousieh, Doyrej, Fakka, Yabis, Sumeida, Pichangizeh, Cham-Hendi, Rabut, Cham-Sari, Bejlieh, Nahr Anbar, Sharhani, and Bayat fell into enemy hands.

Although crossing the Doyrej River filled the enemy with trepidation and caution, the Iraqi Ba'athist Army gained control over the highlands east of the Doyrej River following the capture of the Cham-Sari outpost. The 10th Engineering Battalion of Iraq had prepared pontoon bridges and river crossings to ensure smooth passage should their advance toward Dehloran face any complications. This cautious approach led to delays in their crossing. On the second day of Mehr (October 1980), the Iraqi army captured Ali-Nair village east of Doyrej. With the Al-Nasr Reconnaissance Battalion and the 17th Armored Brigade taking control of the Cham-Sari Bridge and occupying Ali-Nair, they successfully expanded their units toward the Dehloran road. Furthermore, the establishment of a bridgehead between the Cham-Hendi and Cham-Sari bridges and the Dehloran road up to the Chi-Khab Bridge marked a considerable triumph for the Iraqi Ba'athist Army.

The primary route from Dehloran to Dezful was obstructed, with southern villages falling into the hands of the Ba'athist invaders. The enemy's dominance extended from Petak to Cham-Hendi, advancing toward the Ain Khosh gorge. The 42nd Armored Brigade stationed itself to the left of the road, while the 17th Armored Brigade took position on the right, advancing through Ain Khosh's narrow passage on the fourth day of Mehr. The 24th Mechanized Brigade remained in reserve, successfully encircling and seizing the Ain Khosh gorge, leading the 2nd Brigade of Dezful to withdraw, leaving some of their tanks behind. This allowed the enemy to advance swiftly through the Ain Khosh gorge and the Abbas Plain, rapidly approaching Imamzadeh Abbas and Dacheh.

The Iraqi 1st Mechanized Division penetrated through the Fakka axis, a region flanked by the Doyrej River to the north and elevated terrain to the south, advancing to the slopes of the Tineh Heights and the Barghazeh Gorge. Consequently, the 10th Division’s units dispersed in the Abbas Plain, Shavariyeh Foothills, and Sheikh Qayyum, stretching as far as south of the Chi-Khab River, both north and south of the asphalt road leading to the Abughareeb Gorge. This swift advance brought the Iraqi 10th Division, at 10:20 AM on Mehr 5 (September 27, 1980), to occupy the Ali-Garehzad and Balta hills, capturing the Qahveh-Khaneh junction by 4:15 PM. The enemy's presence at this intersection blocked the radar's rear axis and led to the retreat of Shiraz's 37th Armored Brigade, resulting in the capture of 60 personnel, 10 Chieftain tanks, and five 155 mm artillery pieces by the enemy. At 16:40, the command of Iraq’s Third Corps arrived at the Café Junction to inspect the spoils and the occupied area of Ivan-e Karkheh. After discussing the continuation of operations, he praised Major General Hisham Sabah Fakhri, the commander of the 10th Armored Division, and the commander of the 1st Mechanized Division for their achievements. Holding his training stick in his hand, he arrogantly inspected the captured Chieftain tanks from Iran's 37th Armored Brigade in Shiraz, tapping his stick several times with pride on the tanks' aluminum fenders.

The enemy continued its nighttime movement towards Naderi Bridge and the villages of Saleh Mashtat, Sorkheh Naderi, Saleh Faleh, Saleh Davood, Hoseynabad, and Zaghah, west of the Karkheh River.

On October 6, 1980, the Iranian Army's 2nd Armored Brigade withdrew across Naderi Bridge to the east of the Karkheh River, eventually allowing the enemy to dominate the western side of the river. On the morning of October 7, Iraq's 17th Mechanized Brigade moved from the site road toward Rafaiyeh to capture the villages of Beyt Meskineh, Za'an, Maleheh, and the western bank of Karkheh, confronting Shush. They planned to join forces with the 1st Mechanized Division, which had already taken control of the site. This maneuver not only led to the capture of the villages of Maleheh, Za'an, and Beyt Meskineh but also to the capture of eight Chieftain tanks. Thus, Iraq's 14th Mechanized Brigade reached the site facilities and radar station built 20 years before the revolution by the Americans. Even though the Ba'athist regime’s aircraft had bombed the radar station on the first day of the air invasion, one of their main goals was to capture this location.The Iraqi invaders managed to advance from the border points of Fakkah and Sharhani to the western edge of the Karkheh River in just six days, bringing Dezful, Shush, and the Dezful-Shush highway leading to Ahvaz under artillery fire.

In the early morning of October 7, Iraqi tanks surrounded Musian, resulting in the fall of this border town. Afterward, they prepared to advance to Dehloran, reaching its gates. Thus, on October 15, 1980, Iraq’s 6th Mechanized Battalion, along with the Hamad Shihab Tank Battalion from the 17th and 42nd Armored Brigades, occupied the towns of Musian and Dehloran, destroying their facilities.

The IRGC confirmed the enemy’s advance on the first day in the border areas of Bayat, Samideh, Raboot, and Peych Angizeh. Additionally, at 7:30 AM on October 2, Brother Javad Ziayee, an IRGC member, was martyred during the enemy’s advance in this area.

On October 2, IRGC forces sent precise information about the fall of Mehran and the enemy's progress in the vast areas of Mehran and Dehloran to the Gulf base. Based on reports from Site 5 personnel to the Gendarmerie post, Dezful's gendarmerie outpost stationed at Naderi Bridge stated, "The Iraqis have arrived at the site; we have evacuated and are heading to Dezful." Meanwhile, Ilam's Gendarmerie Command also reported, "Contact with Samideh and Peych Angizeh outposts has been cut off from the Musian detachment, and the border areas of Fakkah, Musian, and Dehloran are now under enemy control."

Reports from the Musian outpost indicated no resistance along the entire border against the enemy, allowing them to easily occupy all border outposts and advance into several cities within our country. Additionally, the personnel of the outposts were captured by the Ba'athist invaders. In the second phase of operations, Iraq’s Third Corps advanced to Naderi Bridge, the Karkheh River's edge, and Dehloran, ultimately completing the siege of Dehloran. On October 13, 1980, at 6:30 AM, Iraq's 24th Mechanized Brigade launched another attack on Dehloran, capturing the city. Thus, by the end of October 1980, Iraq’s 10th Armored Division dominated the western region of Dezful, Shush, and the radar station, while the 1st Mechanized Division established itself in the Barqazeh heights, fully securing the occupation of the southern front.

Asghar Ebrahimi, the then-governor of Ilam, and Mohammad Karimi, the then-IRGC commander of the province, who witnessed the occupation of Dehloran firsthand, submitted a report expressing their dissatisfaction with the lack of attention to their alerts regarding the fall of Dehloran. They emphasized that no action was taken to defend the city, allowing Iraqi forces to enter. However, these forces didn't stay in the city since they had no reason to do so; Iraq's army had already occupied the northern region of Mehran, including all its transportation routes, and the southern region up to 100 kilometers was under their full control.

The Iraqi tanks, at dawn on October 7, circumvented and subsequently captured the border city of Musian, preparing to seize Dehloran. On October 15, the 6th Mechanized Battalion and Hamad Shihab Tank Battalion from Iraq's 17th and 42nd Armored Brigades occupied Musian and Dehloran, demolishing their facilities.

The First Offensive Move by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic to Destroy the Enemy and Reclaim the Occupied Territories took place on October 15, 1980 (Mehr 23, 1359 in the Iranian calendar), when the 21st Hamzeh Division of the Iranian Army launched an operation against Iraq's 10th Armored Division from the Naderi Bridge, west of the Karkheh River. However, due to the enemy's dominance over the region, the operation did not succeed. Regarding the Naderi Bridge operation, the enemy stated, "The battle on October 15, 1980, was one of the largest battles in which the 10th Armored Division participated. The enemy (Iran) employed all its strength in this battle, but the steadfastness and bravery of our units (Iraq), combined with the precise coordination between the 24th Mechanized Brigade (which bore the brunt of the attack) with the 42nd and 17th Armored Brigades, and the massive and effective artillery support, along with the crucial and vital role played by the Milan anti-tank missiles, as well as the high-quality operations of the tactical headquarters, were the key factors that allowed our units to maintain their positions despite the enemy’s tanks and armored personnel carriers advancing close to our lines. The result of this operation was the destruction of 80 enemy tanks [Iran] (which still remain in front of our units), and the killing of more than 500 enemy personnel (Iranians), a loss acknowledged by the rulers in Tehran. The epic battle ended on Mehr 23, 1359 (October 15, 1980) at 3:30 PM. The presence of the division commander in the frontline, alongside the tactical headquarters of the 24th Mechanized Brigade, which played a prominent role in our victory, caused the Persian enemy and their units to burn like paper in the face of the steadfastness and bravery of our forces" (Source: Hassan Bagheri Documents – Gulf).

The Fakka region marks the geographical boundary between Ilam and Khuzestan provinces. Hence, the border outposts of Sumeida, Pichangiz, Rabut, Cham-Sari, and Cham-Hendi, as well as the cities of Musian and Dehloran, which are part of Ilam Province, fell under the operational domain of Iraq’s Third Corps. From a military standpoint, this area was under the Khuzestan Corps' axis, and therefore, the Dezful Corps considered itself responsible for this region. In this regard, the Governor's Office and the Gendarmerie of Ilam reported the occupation of these areas to the Gulf as follows: "The presence of Ba'athist aggressors behind the Karkheh River from the Naderi Bridge to the west of Shush poses a threat to Dezful, the Fourth Tactical Air Base, the Second Brigade Garrison of Dezful, the Dookoheh base, a significant southern hub, Andimeshk, Shush, and also has caused the displacement of thousands of devoted people from this region and cut off the strategic rear line of Khuzestan."

The failure of the offensive operations on October 15 (Mehr 23) and October 24 (Aban 3) on the Mahshahr road, as well as on January 5 (Dey 15) and January 10 (Dey 20) in Hoveyzeh and Abadan respectively, due to the weaknesses and poor execution, prevented further Iranian attacks on the enemy.

Source: Jafari, Fathollah. Chananeh: Oral Memoirs of the Sacred Defense. Tehran, Center for Documents and Research of the Sacred Defense, First Edition, 1402 (2023), p. 21.