Operation Tariq al-Qods

Operation Tariq al-Qods
Part of Iran-Iraq War
Date29 November - 7 December 1981
(1 week and 1 day)
LocationBostan in Khuzestan, South-West Iran
Result Decisive Iranian victory
Territorial
changes
Iranians liberate Bostan
Belligerents
 Iraq  Iran
Commanders and leaders
Iran Hossein Kharrazi
Iran Mohammad Boroujerdi
Casualties and losses

~2,500


Dozens of armored vehicles

~6,000
Dozens of armored vehicles

Several of Ah-1 Cobra helicopters

Operation Tariq al-Qods was an operation in the Iran-Iraq War launched by Iran to free Bostan.

The battle

The Operation was launched on 29 November 1981 and lasted more than a week. The Iranians used human wave attacks in their offensive for the first time in the war. Fierce fighting raged with the Iraqi defenders for one week. The Iranians were able to successfully liberate Bostan. During the operation Iran lost more than twice as many men as the Iraqis. Even so, the attrition rate was in Iran's favor. Iran was now able to eliminate an important supply route. This was extremely critical because Iraq did not have enough soldiers for a long frontline. 2,500 Iraqis and 6,000 Iranians had been killed in the fighting.

References

A Hot and Holy War, by Patricia Blake, TIME Magazine, March 22, 1982.