Between 12 noon and 5 pm, the NLA s air defense units downed one Phantom jet and two helicopters, and hit an F-14 jet bomber.
The battle raged all day Tuesday and into the night. The enemy fought with everything it had, launching four heavy counterattacks. It was determined to retake the left and right crests. Later, the commander of a Tehran Komiteh force revealed that Khomeini had personally sent several special messages to the Guards and Komiteh members on the importance of preventing the Mojahedin from reaching Kermanshah. All enemy counterattacks proved futile Tuesday night and 3,200 more of its forces were killed or wounded.
The NLA's second major attack was launched at 4 am on Wednesday. The clashes were very fierce, and in many cases ended up in hand-to-hand fighting. By noon, extensive casualties had been inflicted on the GC 4th Bessat, 5th Ashura, 9th Javadol-A'emmeh, 15th Ramezan and Badr corps. Many Guards Corps divisions and brigades were routed, and the NLA forces, who had attacked from various directions, captured and assumed full control of Beheshti garrison and the headquarters of the 32nd Ansarol-Hossein division. The ammunition, arms, and logistics equipment stored in these bases were readily used against the enemy.
From then on, Raja'i garrison and the headquarters of the 31st Ashura division were within firing range of the NLA. The massive force of Guards concentrated in that region was routed. Their wireless communications indicated that many fled. In addition to firing their tanks, guns, multiple rocket launchers, and mortars on NLA forces, the Guards were preparing a new offensive which was nipped in the bud. Khomeini's forces suffered more than 8,000 casualties in the NLA s second attack.
In a desperate attempt to boost its forces' morale, all day Wednesday, Kermanshah's high command kept announcing on its wireless network that Maryam Rajavi, Deputy Command- er in Chief of the National Liberation Army, had been "killed in a car accident in the operational zone." Khomeini's agents congratulated one another and passed the word down to the lower ranks to encourage them. At 8 am, Thursday, the forces newly arrived at the command position in Kermanshah were still congratulating one another. In response to Tehran's follow-up on the "corpse," Kermanshah said that it had "probably been taken to Baghdad."
This was, of course, not the only such ploy: Elsewhere the regime's forces had received deadly blows and were demanding more troops and ammunition. The Kermanshah command was heard on the wireless telling them to be patient because the Mojahedin had been wiped out and are swearing at Rajavi and Saddam for sending them to this sacrificial altar."
The NLA's third major attack was launched right after; the second at ?? am, Wednesday, and continued until evening. Meanwhile the regime kept adding to the number of its forces. The frontline command of the Najaf garrison, for example, informed Khatam operational HQ at 9:45 am that they had received 10,000 forces during the night.
Nevertheless, the NLA' s attack was successful, capturing the second crest on the right (southern) side of the pass. The enemy's plan to concentrate forces all around the battle zone and surround the NLA was neutralized. Around noon, the frontline command of Najaf garrison's forces, who had faced the NLA, reported "a slight retreat" to Kermanshah and requested more fresh troops. At 5:30 pm, it reported the arrival of 9,000 new troops. By Wednesday evening, the enemy's artillery had been significantly weak- ened by the NLA blows, but the enemy was still in control of the exit from the pass.
By midnight, the NLA combat brigades stationed at Charzebar's heights and crests had begun their withdrawal after 56 hours of relentless combat. Some brigades were still fighting, and until they began to withdraw, the enemy did not dare to advance to the front of the pass.
The series of clashes during the third major attack and consequent confrontations, which continued until midnight Wednesday in the Charzebar Pass and its heights, inflicted at least 4,000 casualties on the enemy. Between 11 am and 1 pm on Wednesday, the NLA' s air defense units downed two aircraft and one helicopter. The enemy's wireless later informed its high command that two pilots of the downed F-4 jets had been found and that both were on the verge of death.
The NLA also destroyed more than 100 vehicles, dozens of tanks, guns, armored personnel carriers, Katyusha rocket launchers, SU-23-4 anti-aircraft guns, and vehicles carrying 106mm recoilless rifles, and a considerable amount of engineering machinery.
It should be noted that many groups of residents of Kerend, Islamabad, and the surrounding villages who voluntarily joined the NLA fought alongside the NLA combatants at Charzebar.
Go to next page. Go to previous page.
