If you remember we said that after Ramazan Operation, two small-scale operations were launched, namely, Moslem ibn Aqil and Muharram. These two operations yielded many successes and showed that the Islamic Republic of Iran still has an upper hand in the battlefield.

Meanwhile, the political movements of the Baathist regime also increased to force the Islamic Republic to accept an imposed peace. But the Islamic Republic of Iran rejected the unjust and partial schemes of the aggressor and its supporters which would not mention the initiator of war and would not deal with the issue of compensating for the damages and expenses of the aggression. The Iraqi dictator who was in bottleneck, militarily and politically, resorted to cowardly measures of targeting cities with long range missiles and air bombardment.

The last months of 1982 saw major developments in Iraq-Iran war. One of the important developments in these months was the establishment of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq. As the opponents of the dictatorial regime began escaping from Iraq toward Iran, a number of Iraqi combatants formed an organization called Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq to create an Islamic movement among the Iraqi people, and introduced Seyyed Mohammad Baqer Hakim, son of late grand Ayatollah Seyyed Mohsen Hakim, as their speaker on November 17, 1982. This was considered a turning point in the Islamic campaigns of the Iraqi people. In response to the formation of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, the Ba’athist regime, in late May 1983 arrested a host of the scholars of Hakim family including Ayatollah Seyyed Yusuf Hakim and executed 6 of them before the eyes of Ayatollah Mohammad Hussein Hakim and sent him to Iran to show to Mohammad Baqer Hakim that if he would not return to Iraq, his children would be killed.

In reaction to execution of some of the scholars of Hakim family, Imam Khomeini (God's mercy upon him) said in a message: "The very sorrowful and startling news of the martyrdom of late Ayatollah Hakim's 6 family members by the criminal sadistic Saddam saddens every conscientious person who has not been deviated from human nature. We are in an age when criminals are praised and approved instead of rebuking and punishment. The Iraqi people must know that the issue is not just related to the Hakim family. Those who were martyred with torture in the path of dear Islam and for Iraq, they have met Allah beside their grand ancestors. But the important issue is Islam, which if this pagan, who is opposed to Islam by nature, is given respite, he will break into pieces dear Islam and Iraqi nation under the boots of his criminals."  

Formation of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq was also an opportunity for Iran to use the capacities of the Iraqi combatant forces against the bloodthirsty regime of Saddam. The longer the war lasted the needs for administering the war would also increase. Imam Khomeini, in several speeches, stressing the priority of war over every other issue, called for assembling and directing all forces for war. The gradual strengthening of the Iraqi army required more volunteers to plan successful operations, and Iran had to compensate for the shortage of equipment and weapons with increased manpower. Despite all limitations, keeping the battle scenes heated was of great importance for the commanders. After Muharram operation, preparations were made for preliminary Val-Fajr Operation. It was dubbed Val-Fajr due to the coincidence of the operation with ten days of dawn of the Islamic Revolution. This operation was designed to determine the fate of the war.  

After Muharram Operation, a quick access to the Iraqi city of al-Amara seemed easy. Accordingly, part of the land north of the city of al-Amara was taken into consideration by the Iranian commanders. In order to find the proper area for Val-Fajr operations, two plans were put forward at Karbala central Command by the army and the IRGC in the south and north of Fakkeh area. After due examinations, the IRGC plan was scheduled to be put into effect with the help of the army. Val-Fajr Operation was designed with the aim of capturing the Ghazila bridge and, if possible, reaching the city of al-Amara. The usage of armored forces was conspicuous in this operation. 13 units of the IRGC and 3 units of the army participated. The operation began on three axes on February 7, 1983, and the forces began to advance in pitch dark of the night to clear minefields and break the enemy lines. The Iranian forces were trying to advance toward the Ghazila bridge inside Iraq. The Iraqi army's 1st division, arrayed in this area, immediately launched a swift counter-attack. The battlefield was an open plain where the Iraqi army had installed many barriers, including a number of canals, ditches, mines, barbed wire and strongholds. This made it very tough for the Iranian combatants to cross the Iraqi fortifications and break the first line of the enemy.

Although in this operation, several Iraqi outposts were captured by the Iranian combatants and 120 Iraqis were taken captive, the operation did not achieve its goals. Approximately 300 square kilometers of Iran’s territory were liberated but about 600 Muslim combatants were martyred, 2500 were injured and 2500 others were missing or taken captive by the Ba'athist enemy. 45 tanks or vehicles were also lost. The designers of the operation had thought that assaulting through the sandy deserts in the south of Fakkeh would be a surprise to the Iraqi army. But in practice, this did not happen, because the use of sandy lands in Tariq al-Quds Operation made the Iraqi army acquainted with these sensitive and tactical areas in Iran.

The Ba'athist enemy in Val-Fajr Operation used a new set of tactics and new barriers. From the beginning of the advance of Iranian forces to reach the enemy's second line, there were more than 16 types of barriers installed by the Iraqi army or natural barriers in the region. Hence, the Ba'athists actually put into practice their previous lessons which they had learnt before Val-Fajr Operation. Moreover, the main aggressive forces of the enemy used to be stationed on the first lines and were naturally vulnerable to the assaulting forces; but in this operation, the enemy had placed its aggressive forces in discretionary position. By deploying defensive forces on the line, broadening of minefields and building numerous other barriers, Saddam's army was indeed trying to recapture the areas that the Islamic Republic had liberated through weakening the Iranian forces and bringing its main forces. To the scene.

FK/RM/ME