Memoirs of Akbar Hashemi – February 22, 1984

Early in the morning during morning prayers, several enemy rockets - apparently Katyushas - fell on the ground around the camp. Before noon, we arranged the affairs at Khatam al-Anbia camp. Mr. [Hasan] Rouhani stayed in the camp and we went to Ahvaz with the children to take a bath and check the situation of the supplies.

We ate lunch and rested in the barracks of the IRGC Front's supply area - which has been handed over to them from the Air Force - and learned about the situation of the barracks and the state of supplies.

We returned to the camp at four in the afternoon. Two hours before the start of the Khyber operation, I negotiated with two tactical camps and reviewed the work.

The start time of the operation is 6:30 in the afternoon. The Najaf headquarters informed that the advance group - thirty boats - which were dispatched yesterday, reached the designated points and reported. The situation is normal and the enemy is oblivious.

In the evening, I informed the camps to start the operation and not to wait for the official ceremony of broadcasting the order of the central camp.

The news says that everything is going well. They clear the minefields to reach the enemy and they have disembarked on the enemy's territory from the side of Horulhuiza, next to the Tigris and the Majnoon Islands.

At eight o'clock in the special room, we officially recorded the attack order of the Khyber operation and a prayer ceremony was held for the victory of the fighters.

During the prayer ceremony, I asked God to make this operation successful in such a way that we can use its achievements to end the war, and the resources of the two countries will be used to serve Islam and the country, and the sufferings of the people of the two countries will end.

The enemy has been taken by surprise. At night, in a special room, we followed and controlled the operation through wireless and telephones. The Karbala headquarters announced that the 4th Army Corps was involved in Karbala and the 2nd Army was not involved. The IRGC's Najaf base was reporting success. I went to sleep and asked Mr. [Hasan] Rouhani and [Jalal] Sadatian to follow the operation and if they are in doubt and have a problem, to wake me up.