The Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War-41

The forces of the Fifth and Ninth Divisions were stationed a few kilometers apart. Several rivers passed near their headquarters. In late 1981, the water level began to decrease. Therefore, they brought the Zain Al-Qaws tank battalion to this area to be stationed on the front lines and compensate for the weakness of these lines due to the lowering of the level of this natural obstacle.

The Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War-40

I was treating them in the open air and under the scorching sun. After advancing for two kilometers, our forces reached a dead end. They had entered a swampy area surrounded by many trees. There was no hope for the advance of personnel and personnel carriers. Our forces around the village of "Kuheh" faced fierce resistance from the IRGC, who were fighting with light weapons and were supported by 106 cannons, 82 mm mortars and heavy artillery.

The Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War-39

According to the common custom in the Iraqi army, every officer could have a soldier as an attaché to carry out his personal affairs. However, I, as an officer and physician of the regiment, was against the idea that it was not unlike slavery. For this reason, I did my personal chores myself, from washing clothes to polishing shoes. In the mobile unit, about 11 people worked with me. They served me wholeheartedly out of friendship and affection and for the assistance, I provided them.

The Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor-38

In addition to treating the wounded and sick, the regiment doctor was also responsible for supervising the general health of the environment and the people. For this reason, I was responsible for inspecting the frontline positions of the regiment and the trenches of the people. While emphasizing the need for field health units for each group and avoiding throwing garbage on the ground and burying it underground, I supervised the regiment's water and food sources.

The Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor - 37

The First Regiment of the 20th Brigade was stationed on the right side of our regiment’s positions and west of the road leading to Ahvaz. The positions of this regiment were more at risk of encountering Iranian forces than our positions. In addition to carrying out daily military activities, the First Regiment sent a small patrol-combat group to the restricted area one night. After reaching the closest point to the ...

The Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor - 36

Our regiment was deployed in a defensive position. For this reason, our forces mainly participated in combat patrol operations - reconnaissance and creating night ambushes in the forbidden area. Although the regiment's officers and non-commissioned officers were reluctant to carry out these dangerous and tiring missions, they were forced to participate in them anyway. Orders for carrying out patrol operations...

Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 35

The summer of 1981 amounted to a period of rest for the Iranian forces stationed at our brigade's location. The main combat activities were limited to mutual exchanges of fire, combat-reconnaissance patrol operations, and setting up ambushes. Although the Iranian side had taken on a state of lethargy and relaxation, our forces, after implementing all defensive measures, remained on full alert.

Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 34

He was an officer of Kurdish origin, a native of Baghdad serving as an intelligence officer in the regiment. The job of the intelligence section was essentially to spy on military personnel on behalf of the regime and gather information about the enemy. The common traits of intelligence officers were ruthlessness, violence, and mistreatment. However, Captain Salam, in addition to possessing all these characteristics, was extremely cowardly and was known as one of the most ...

Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 33

Every two weeks, shortly after sunset, I would go to Mobile Medical Unit Eleven. On the way there, my driver "Karim" would drive the car, and on the way back, I would drive, because at night he would fall asleep behind the wheel. He was a very clean and polite soldier. I liked him. Despite these difficult and harsh conditions, I felt fortunate, because with complete freedom, far from the eyes of intelligence ...

Third Regiment: Memoirs of an Iraqi Prisoner of War Doctor – 32

Three weeks later, after the shelling had ceased, I visited the regiment’s positions. During this visit, I observed the traces and signs of the battle that had taken place on January 5, 1981, within the area controlled by the 35th Armored Brigade. I also noticed one of our own ambulances, buried under the soil, with visible burn marks on it. I examined it closely.