Surf Wiki
Save to docs
geography/iran

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Operation Dawn 3

FieldValue
conflictOperation Dawn 3
partofIran–Iraq War
date30 July – 9 August 1983
()
placeMehran, Ilam Province
territoryIraq captures Mehran
resultIraqi victory
combatant1Iraq
combatant2Iran
strength160,000
strength2180,000
casualties16,000 killed
60 tanks lost
casualties27,000 killed
15,000 wounded

()

  • Iranian offensive failure
  • Iraqi counter-attack succeeds 60 tanks lost 15,000 wounded

Operation Dawn 3 or Operation Valfajr-3 (Arabic: عملیه الفجر-۳) was an operation during the Iran–Iraq War. The operation was launched in the range of "semi-extensive operation" located in the general area of Mehran (in Ilam Province); and eventually led in the liberation of Mehran by Iranian forces. Iran's goals of the operation were as follows:

  • Liberation of Mehran city from the eye/range of the enemy
  • Making facility in the relation of "Dehloran–Mehran" and also "Ilam–Mehran"
  • Modulation of defense lines against the enemy (Iraq), and pulling it from the heights to plain(s).

It was Iran's worst defeat out of all the Dawn operations. Around 180,000 Iranian troops participated in this offensive, which targeted the central front in the region of Mehran. However, withering Iraqi firepower in support of deeply entrenched troops slaughtered the advancing Iranians. Although Iranian troops were highly motivated, they were poorly trained and equipped for this battle. For Iran, the operation was a disaster.

The Iraqis struck back by emerging from their trenches to counterattack into Iran and capture Mehran, for the second time.

Background

The Operation Dawn 3 is part of the series of Dawn operations, which involved about 500,000 troops covering a 150-mile front. It was launched in February 1983 and was described by Speaker Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani as the final move towards ending the Iran-Iraq war. The first campaign was concentrated in the Hawizeh marsh area and in the Haj Omran during the Operation Dawn 2. These achieved only minimal gains and started to diminish the morale of the Iranian troops as well as the Iranian reputation. The Iranians began a new attack in July 1983 in the central (Zurbatiya) sector.

Battle

The Iranians attempted to further exploit activities in the north after Operation Dawn 2 on 30 July 1983. Iran saw an opportunity to sweep away Iraqi forces controlling the roads between the Iranian controlled mountain border towns of Mehran, Dehloran and Elam. Iraq conducted airstrikes against 50,000 Iranian forces lodged in mountainous terrain, exhausting themselves attempting to dislodge the Iranians. Realising they needed to alter their tactics, Iraq equipped attack helicopters with chemical warheads; while ineffective, it demonstrated both the Iraqi general staff's and Saddam's increasing interest in using chemical weapons. In the end, in total 17,000 soldiers had lost their lives,[clarification needed] with no gain for either country.[73]

References

References

  1. (2015). "The Iran-Iraq War". Harvard University Press, 2015.
  2. [https://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/4036374/%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%B13-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87 Walfajr-3 operation, a victor operation] yjc.ir Retrieved 9 November 2019
  3. [https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/755912/عملیات-والفجر3-چگونه-به-آزادی-مهران-منجر-شد How did Walfajr-3 operation led in the liberation of Mehran?] mashreghnews.ir Retrieved 9 November 2019
  4. [http://www.aviny.com/Occasion/enghelab_jang/defaemoghaddas/87/Amaliatha/Valfajr3/Sharh_natije.aspx Operation Walfajr-3] aviny.com Retrieved 3 November 2019
  5. Karsh, Efraim. (2014-06-06). "The Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988". Bloomsbury Publishing.
  6. Bradley, Mark. (2011-10-27). "Iran and Christianity: Historical Identity and Present Relevance". Bloomsbury Publishing.
  7. Rubin, Barry. (2009). "Conflict and Insurgency in the Contemporary Middle East". Routledge.
  8. Malovany, Pesach. (2017-06-16). "Wars of Modern Babylon: A History of the Iraqi Army from 1921 to 2003". University Press of Kentucky.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

military-operations-of-the-iran–iraq-war-in-1983 mehran-county 1980s-in-ilam-province july-1983-in-asia august-1983-in-asia
Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Operation Dawn 3 — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report