Matla-al-Fajr offensive operation (Shiakooh) (December 11th, 1981)
The vital and extraordinary importance and priority of expelling Iraqis from Iran’s southern battlefront had made Iranian military commanders to focus their major attempt on this area and even Islamic republic of Iran's political leaders had dispatched the country's existing provisions to southern operational region. While the other operations in the west and northwest of country were managed with the least amount of provision and for any echelon, there were almost no reserve units in the west and northwest region.
Iraqi units in their first advance towards Iranian west fronts seized the region's dominating heights and organized their defending positions on the heights and after capturing elevated and appropriate observation points, monitored every friendly forces movement from long distance and with the war getting prolonged they mined and fortified their defending positions in order not to be penetrable easily. Accordingly, most of the attacks were aborted and retention of minor objectives encountered Iraqi repeated counterattacks and it seemed to be a very difficult mission. To support southern front operations, it necessitated to disturb the existing silence and peace in the west region, which were not in favor of friendly forces. Therefore, according to Iranian army concept, an attempt was made on the last days of September for finding an area to start an operation so as to decrease the enemy’s pressure. Zolfaghar 58th brigade provided Zolfaghar plan for operation and releasedit. For the first time on the west region ten kilometers deep inside Iraqi territory behind the enemy an objective was selected and finally the Matla-al-Fajr operation was conducted by Iran’s army foremost headquarter in Charmiyan - Shiakooh, Qasemabad and Gilan-e-Gharb local area on December 11th, 1981 with the code of" O Mahdi understand me " and lasted for 27 days.
Result:
-Shiakooh heights were captured by Iranian forces, but despite the resistance and attempts made by Zolfaqar 58th brigade and Shiraz 191st infantry battalion and owing to enemy’s severe mass fire, repeated counterattacks and the difficulty in supporting friendly forces the pre-attack positions were seized and stabilized.
-More than 1700 were killed or wounded and 140 people were taken captive who were sent behind the battlefront.
-Infantry brigades 2, 36,412,425,503 commando brigade 32, tank fourth battalion and commando companies suffered heavy and considerable losses.
-Abdolhamid Enshaee one of brave commander of the IRI army, martyred in this region this sentence as remembrant of him as saying, “Inform Imam (Khomeini) that shiahooh trembled but Emshaee never did.”
-owing to enemy's severe mass fire, repeated counterattacks and the difficulty in supporting friendly forces the pre-attack positions were seized and stabilized.
-More than 1700 were killed or wounded and 140 people were taken captive who were sent behind the battlefront.
-Infantry brigades 2, 36,412,425, 503 commando brigade 32, tank fourth battalion and commando companies suffered heavy and considerable losses.
Source:
Atlas of Unforgettable Battles (Ground forces operations in eight years of holy defense)
Compilation: Staff Colonel Mojtaba Jafari
Other links:
Imam Khomeini commander-in-chief offensive operation (June 11th, 1981)
Mahshar - Abadan road offensive operation (June 21st, 1981)
South of Marivan defensive operation (July 20st, 1981)
Bazideraz offensive operation (2) (September 3rd, 1981)
Martyr Madani offensive operation (September 18th, 1981)
