The 343rd Night of Memoir-4

Compiled by: Leila Rostami
Translated by: Fazel Shirzad

2023-9-14

Note: The 343rd Night of Memoir was held on Thursday 26th of January 2022 in the Surah Hall of the Art Center with the presence of a group of soldiers and families of the Malik Ashtar Battalion of the Muhammad Rasoolullah (pbuh) Army and honoring the memory of the martyrs of this battalion, especially the martyr Mohammad Reza Karvar. In this program, which was hosted by Davoud Salehi, the veteran and captures Mohammad Rostamifar, Saeed Tahuna and Nusratullah Akbari shared their memories.

■■■

The third narrator of the program, General Nusratullah Akbari continued his speech and said: The operation started that night. I was at the head of the column when Karvar came. I said: A good commander is one who is either in the middle of the column or at the bottom of the column. If you do not accept me, I will leave. The poor Karvar was very shy, he went to the middle of the column. He came to the column again after ten minutes. I said: Why did you come?! He said: I'm worried, I have to be at the head of the pillar to see what happens before I make a decision. I said: I am you, go and be at ease. The conflict of the enemy had reached its peak. The Iraqis were in front of us and the conflict was such that we came face to face with the Iraqis. On our right was another company that failed to come, but we managed to capture our objective.

The narrator went on to say: The weather became clear. While moving on the wireless, I said: Karvar...! Karvar...! Karver...! Karver did not answer. I said that maybe the water got into the wireless device when it fell into the water! I changed my wireless. I came to the frequency, again Karver did not answer. In my mind, I said that Karvar is the back of the column! Whatever happens, I am at the head of the column and it must happen to me, not to Karver! It doesn't matter if it's the top of the column or the bottom of the column. I was at the head of the column, but I didn't crack a single needle. They told me: Some people were injured, Karver was also injured and went back. I said thank God. Whenever he was injured, he quickly returned to the front. I said Karver will come back. I never thought that Karver was martyred! Karvar was chosen to testify. In the morning, I said to Mr. Torabi, who was a child of Qom and we called him Hassan Qomi, and he was the representative of the Lashkar in our battalion: Hassan, what should we do? He said: There is no retreat, don't beat yourself up. That's where I gave up hope. Martyr Mohammad Reza Karvar had made a contract with God and his body has not yet arrived.

Narrator further said: After the martyrdom of Karvar, I was given the command of the battalion and we went to Majnoon Island for Badr amphibious operation. We didn't break the line, but we took the goal they gave us. A number of our groups had gone on Al-Bahar road. The comrade used to see the Shalamcheh to Al-Amara asphalt road. There was a river where martyr Abbas Karimi, the commander of the 27th division of Muhammad Rasoolullah (pbuh), and martyr Bakri, the commander of the 31st division of Ashura, were martyred. It became a target there, and once they said that the enemy had attacked from the left flank and broken the line and was coming towards us. Despite some comrad being injured and martyred, we stood and resisted when I saw Abbas Karimi coming. He had gone to the Tigris River and performed ablution. I said: Haj Abbas! What do you want here in the front line! He said: It has nothing to do with you, I, the commander of my army, came to see the situation. I said: You shoot one ball, shoot one arrow and become a martyr, the army becomes fatherless, then what should we do?! He said: You should take the side, because they broke the line last night and you and your brothers stood until the afternoon. Slowly hand over the line to another battalion. You go back and get organized for the next night. I yelled at the telecommunication, the situation is dangerous, take Abbas Karimi back. The enemy had been ambushed and was coming with armor. Whatever I said to Haj Abbas, go back, he said he will not go. Finally, the telecommunications guys forced Haj Abbas to go back. Haj Abbas used to say: We don't want wireless at all, go..., let them go... When the enemy retreats, they will fire and Haj Abbas Karimi will be martyred.

The narrator further said: Ali Hosseini and Ali Lashkari were Basij fighters. No matter what I did, they refused to join the army and said that we want to serve as Basiji members and become martyrs in Basiji uniforms. Mr. Salimi was the commander of the company and Mr. Ali Hosseini was his deputy. No matter what Mr. Salimi talked to Mr. Ali Hosseini to change their place, Ali Hosseini would not accept. He said: You are a soldier, it is your duty to be in charge of the company, I am Basiji and under your command. Both of them were martyred in the Badr operation.

At the end of his speech, the narrator said: In the Dawn 8 operation, we had to cross the Arvand river full of water. They ordered us that the fourth missile base belongs to Malik Battalion and you must conquer it. On the right side of us was the Khor Abdullah swamp and on the left side was also a swamp. There was a dam and an asphalt road that we just had to go over and we had no other way. Martyr Mahmoud Pirbadaghi sings hymns that will never leave my and the comrade's minds. Like a chicken, it flies to Karbala, it flies, and... The comrades always sang these hymns and poems behind the head of an old man, wearing a headband, while running around in the mornings or during processions. One of the commanders of the effective companies in Dawn 8 operation was martyred Mahmoud Pirbadaghi. We crossed the asphalt road that was dictated. We told RPG women to come. All RPG women of one group were martyred. The RPG woman of the Do group was martyred. The RPG woman of the 3rd company was martyred. Because we had no choice but to go on the road. The enemy had understood that we have no other way than here. The army was also pressing, Mr. Nusrat, other lines were broken, but your line was not broken. I said that there is no dyeing bend, you have to wait. The enemy has placed tanks and four-wheelers on the road and is cutting them. Nobody can move, you say move. I also like the broken line and the work is done. Our comrades are filling up here one by one; they are either shot by a tank or by anti-aircraft fire. The enemy had facilities, the whole world had provided facilities to Iraq. By God's grace, the comrades bypassed the swamp and reached above the heads of the Iraqis and destroyed their defense with grenades. There was also a tank on the road, which the comrade took safely. God bless you bro. He said: We took Haji Tank. I said: Do it. He said: It's a shame, I am a tank driver, we use it. I said: It was a pity for those martyrs who left. Destroy it. He was very upset with me. I said: Destroy the tank to demoralize the enemy and demoralize the fighters. A line was broken here. The guys took the missile base. A number of comrades like Mr. Pirbadaghi and other comrades were also martyred. This document was another honor for Malik Ashtar Battalion.