Order to Fire Part 2

On the same night, the Khomeini regime launched counter attacks on four axes, each of which failed. On the central axis, the regime's reinforcements under the command of an experienced operational officer, Lieutenant Karim Safavi, were routed on the Dezful-Amarah highway by an NLA brigade. Lieutenant Safavi was killed. On the southern axis, a large group of reinforcements, sent from the Ansar- garrison, was ambushed by NLA combatants, and its commander, Major Parviz Falahatkar, captured. On the northern axis, the regime ordered the 148th armored battalion to counterattack, but its forces were driven back by an NLA combat bri gade. Finally at 7:30, Monday morning, after routing battalions of the 77th division and the gendarmerie along a 30-kilometer front and capturing the strategic Dezful-Amarah highway, 16 kilometers deep inside Iranian terri tory, the NLA brigades gained full control of the battle zone.

The NLA artillery units maintained heavy, accurate fire on all enemy positions and supply routes and pounded the road to facilitate the dvancement of the NLAs combat brigades.

The Khomeini regime's 110th, 291st, 85th artillery, 148th, 104th and 773rd battalions of the 77th Khorassan division, the 307th gendarmerie battalions, the 315th artillery and 134th battalions as well as the head quarters of the Ansar-2 garrison were routed in the NLA's "Shining Sun" operation.

After 24 hours of battle, the National Liberation Army's forces could transfer a significant portion of the $100 million worth of captured war materiel behind the lines to be used in future operations. Much of the captured arms and ammunition was also used against the enemy during the operation. The rest of the materiel, either because the National Army did not need it or could not transfer it behind the lines, was destroyed. This included thirteen M-47 tanks, five M-113 armored personnel carriers, one 130 mm gun, five Howitzer guns, nine 106 mm recoilless rifles, ten 82 mm anti-tank guns, 4-barrelled anti-aircraft guns, and a huge number of mortars, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns and other war equipment.

 

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