Operation Karbala-6

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Operation Karbala-6 was an Iranian operation during the

10,000 Basij volunteers attacked. As they advanced, the Iraqis abandoned their positions. Iraqi troops then counter-attacked with armor and surrounded the Basij, who were only armed with Kalashnikovs and RPG-7s. The Basij forces broke through the Iraqi lines. However, an Iraqi counterattack encircled the Basij forces in a pocket. Many Basij volunteers were killed in the fighting with the surrounding Iraqi troops. Immediately, the Iranian 77th 'Khorasan" mechanized division and the 31st 'Ashoora' mechanized division attacked the Iraqi forces. Iraqi forces suffered heavy losses. The Iranian 77th mechanized division broke through the encirclement, defeating the Iraqis and relieving the Basijis.

Aftermath

Eventually, while initially successful, the Iranian offensive petered out because it was not meant to be a breakthrough attack, due to shortages of logistics, and Iraqi chemical weapons. The offensive, while successfully diverting much of Iraq's armor away from the battlefield in Basra, did not prevent the Iraqis from stopping the Iranian attack against the city.

See also

• Operation Karbala-7

Bibliography

• http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/9005lessonsiraniraqii-chap08.pdf
• https://books.google.com/books?id=dUHhTPdJ6yIC

References

• iraniraqwar.com
• Information about it on an Iranian-history related website