The 373rd Night of Memoirs – Part 2

Compiled by Iranian Oral History Website
Translated by Fazel Shirzad

2026-3-17

Note: The 373rd session of Night of Memoirs was held on Thursday evening, October 23, 2025, at the Sooreh Hall of the Art Center, featuring the wartime memories of former POWs and veterans such as Nabiollah Ahmadlou, Mohammad Hadi, Mahmoud Shabani, Ali Moradi, Mohsen Jannat, Hadi Izi, and Abbas Pirhadi. The program was hosted by Davoud Salehi.

The host continued: “In this part, we will revisit the three-day siege of the Al-Mahdi Battalion. Operation Karbala-5 lasted twenty-one days in three phases, which we have discussed in detail in previous programs. The respected commander of the Al-Mahdi Battalion was born on July 31, 1964, in Tehran. He was among the persistent fighters who served throughout the entire eight years of the Sacred Defense and, at two different times, held the position of battalion commander. After Operation Karbala-5, he continued his efforts (wherever he served) to keep the memory and name of the Al-Mahdi Battalion alive. From the post-war years and Operation Mersad up to the present day, he has remained active, even establishing a pilgrimage service at the border named after Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance). Tonight, during the 373rd program, we will be revisiting the story of the three-day siege of the Al-Mahdi Battalion (a siege whose narrator once presented two special requests to the Supreme Leader during a personal meeting). If time allows, he will mention those requests in the course of his recollection. With that, the narrator was respectfully invited to begin his story.”

The second narrator, Mohammad Hadi, began his speech in the name of God and in remembrance of the martyrs. Referring to the greatness of the fighters’ sacrifices, he went straight into his account:

“After the first stage of the operation, when the battalion commander was injured, I was assigned command of the Al-Mahdi Battalion to continue the mission. At that time, our effective strength was about four hundred men. We entered the front line with the same number, completed our assigned task, and then began our withdrawal. During the retreat, Haj Ali Fazli instructed us not to withdraw yet but to stay prepared, as there was a possibility that the battalion might be redeployed. Therefore, I positioned the men in two collective trenches.”

“Two days later, we received permission to withdraw for reorganization. When the battalion returned to the rear, only around seventy to eighty men remained. Once we settled in camp, the first thing I did was hold a morning assembly. I asked everyone to stand in their usual places. As I walked before the lines, the empty spots where so many comrades once stood were painfully visible. An overwhelming sadness overcame me; I couldn’t continue the ceremony. Suddenly, one of the men began chanting the Sham-e Ghariban elegy, and soon everyone joined in. The entire atmosphere of the battalion transformed, and that night we held a long and sorrowful mourning ceremony in the Hosseiniyeh.”

“The following day, we took everyone to the city’s public bathhouse. Many of them performed the ritual ablution of martyrdom (ghusl-e shahadat) there. Some time later, with the few men remaining, we returned to the same bathhouse to wash our clothes. When we entered, the owner asked where the rest of the troops were. The men replied, ‘They were martyred in battle.’ Right there, another mourning session began, with chest-beating and lamentation that lasted for several hours.”

The narrator continued: “As was customary, after each operation the soldiers were supposed to take leave. They had put on fresh uniforms and were preparing to return to Tehran. But just as we were entering the camp, a messenger from the division stopped by the battalion and relayed an order: within forty-eight hours, we needed to be ready to return to the front line. When I asked, ‘With what manpower?’, he replied, ‘The troops will arrive tomorrow morning.’ The next morning, the sound of bus horns woke us up. A large number of buses had parked in front of the Al-Mahdi Battalion (it became clear that our new mission was entirely serious). With the remaining core personnel, we immediately began organizing the incoming forces. I didn’t know many of the soldiers; weapons and ID tags had yet to be distributed, and time was extremely short. Nonetheless, we managed to hand out the weapons and tags and made ready for movement. Even on the night of the operation, some of the newcomers still didn’t know who their commander was (they simply obeyed orders upon hearing my name).”

At this stage, three companies were formed. Martyr Hamid Teymouri commanded the Eisar Company, Martyr Habibollah Chizari led the second company, and Haj Ghorban Ebrahimi was in charge of the third. All the deputy commanders of these companies were later martyred as well. Although there had been no opportunity even for test firing, the pressure to move was immense (and we had no choice but to proceed to the front).

The narrator continued: “After being transferred by bus to the vicinity of Khorramshahr, the troops boarded trucks and headed toward the operational zone in the cold. Along the way, we briefly halted so that at least a few live rounds could be fired for the men to familiarize themselves with their weapons. Then I went to headquarters to receive the final mission orders. There, I met with Sardar Fazli. I insisted that a more experienced commander should lead the battalion, and that I would serve as his deputy. I repeated many times that I was ready to take full responsibility for any task, but preferred that command officially be given to someone else. I pleaded sincerely, even resorting to prayer and insistence. Finally, the proposal was accepted (a man named Nouri Pazouki was appointed as battalion commander, and I continued the mission as his deputy). At that point, the formal orders for the Al-Mahdi Battalion were issued.”

“Our mission was to advance toward the Ya Zeynab Bridge (a point where the Hazrat Zeynab Battalion had become trapped, unable to move forward or retreat). After coordination, it was decided that Nouri Pazouki would advance with the Eisar Company, while I followed behind with the remaining two companies in support. The route was a narrow road under intense enemy fire, accessible only by light vehicles. In the darkness of night, under the faint beam of a flashlight carried by Martyr Afshin Kazemi, the column moved cautiously until we reached Do’eiji (a recently liberated area still under heavy enemy shelling). From there to the Ya Zeynab Bridge, the path was so covered with the bodies of martyrs that our men had to step over them. It was a scene I will never forget. After escorting the Eisar Company to the bridge, I was tasked with returning to bring up the other two companies.”

On the way back, I encountered a large refrigerated truck (about ten tons) filled with the bodies of martyrs. The truth is, to this day there are mothers still waiting for sons who never returned, unaware of their exact fate. The truck driver, visibly distressed, stopped me and said he was lost and didn’t know which route to take. I told him to follow me.

We were driving when suddenly an Iraqi Mirage jet appeared overhead. For a moment I froze, not knowing what to do. I could see the truck in my rearview mirror (only God knows what I felt in that instant. The Mirage circled, then struck) launching a missile that hit directly in the center of the refrigerated truck loaded with martyrs’ bodies. I lost control of my vehicle; it veered toward the embankment and nearly overturned. When I rushed to the site, flames engulfed everything. That day I witnessed a heart-wrenching scene (it seemed as though many of those martyrs had chosen never to return.”

The narrator continued: “After returning to Do’eiji and regrouping, we soon received word that the battalion commander had been shell-shocked, and command once again reverted to me. When I rejoined the forces at the Ya Zeynab Bridge, I discovered that the Eisar Company had been virtually decimated. The battle there was ferocious; many men had fought to their last bullet.”

“At the bridge, fierce fighting raged continuously. In that situation, all I could do was radio headquarters for instructions. They ordered me to report in person. I set off immediately and found Sardar Fazli himself inside a BMP armored vehicle. He emphasized that I must move quickly (our forces were engaged at close range with the enemy). I don’t recall the exact time, but it must have been near dawn.”

“On the way, I met the honorable Martyr Haj Yadollah Kalhor, who was sitting on the ground, speaking into a radio. I later learned that he had been told of my arrival so he could brief me on the mission. When I reached him, he remained seated on the ground and began explaining the situation in detail. He told me that this area was the Ya Zeynab Bridge, beyond which lay a dense date-palm grove.

He carefully outlined the mission, stressing its critical importance. What I recount now are his exact words: he said, ‘When you reach the Ya Zeynab Bridge, before you stretches a palm grove that’s extremely difficult to cross. Inside it runs a stream, there are numerous pits, ambush positions, and fallen trees blocking the way. The fighting will be fierce. Nevertheless, you must push through the palm grove. Beyond it lies an old asphalt road (a secondary route leading toward Basra. Your mission ends at that road).’

He further explained: ‘To your right, the Ali ibn Abi Taleb Division from Qom will link up with you; to your left, the 9th Badr Division will advance. You must establish the junction along that asphalt road.’

I asked precisely where our battalion’s boundary was, and he firmly replied, ‘Your mission is to reach that asphalt road (you must get there no matter what. ’The companies entered the palm grove one after another, and I moved among them. Along the way, all seven of my radio operators were martyred. With every step forward, we lost more men, until we reached a canalized pool where the enemy was continuously reinforcing their lines. At that point, Haj Ghorban Ebrahimi, displaying remarkable bravery, led an assault to clear the pool and was martyred in the process. The remaining soldiers, gathered as a single company, advanced toward the asphalt road and finally reached it. I radioed that we had arrived, and the order came to hold our position defensively until adjacent units linked up.

We dug in along the road. I reported our position to Hajji, who at first could hardly believe we had made it. Once confirmed, he instructed us to establish a defensive line until neighboring divisions arrived. I told the men to start digging trenches immediately and wait for the linkup. We waited for some time. The sounds of fighting gradually faded, until around 9 or 9:30 in the morning I heard over the radio that both the Ali ibn Abi Taleb Division and the 9th Badr Division had failed to advance. In that moment, we realized we were completely alone (encircled by the enemy).”

“For three days we remained under siege (without water and with the barest provisions). The meager rations we had on the night of the operation were all we possessed. Despite exhaustion, illness, and severe physical strain, no one abandoned the field. When it became clear that neighboring divisions could not break through, we checked behind us and discovered that our route of withdrawal was also cut off. At that point, the battalion was completely surrounded.”

To be continued…