Siege of Basra

The siege of Basra, code-named Operation Karbala-5 (Persian: عملیات کربلای ۵) or The Great Harvest (Arabic: الحصاد الاكبر), was an offensive operation carried out by Iran in an effort to capture the Iraqi port city of Basra in early 1987. This battle, known for its extensive casualties and ferocious conditions, was the biggest battle of the war and proved to be the last major Iranian offensive. The Iranians failed to reach their objective.

Siege of Basra
Operation Karbala-5
The Great Harvest
Part of the Iran–Iraq War
Date8 January – mid April 1987
(3 months and 1 week)
Location
Result

Iraqi victory

  • Iranians seized 4 defence lines east of Basrah
  • Iraqis hold Basrah, Tannumah and Abu al-Khasib
  • Iranians continue shelling Basra with artillery
Territorial
changes
Iran crossed the border and captured a tiny sliver of Basra Governorate
Belligerents
Republic of Iraq  Iran
Commanders and leaders

Saddam Hussein

Gen. al-Rashid
Lt. Gen. Dhia ul-Din Jamal
Maj. Gen. Khalil al-Dhouri
Brig. Gen. Abdul-Wahid Shannan ar-Ribat
Brig. Gen. Riyadh Taha
Brig. Gen. Hassan Yusuf
Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Ismail
Brig. Gen. Hamid Salman
Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani
Mohsen Rezaee
Hossein Kharrazi 
Col. Ali Sayyad Shirazi
Esmail Daghayeghi 
Units involved

3rd Corps

6th Corps
7th Corps
National Defense Battalions

Basij and Revolutionary Guards (70%):
Najaf Corps
Quds Corps
Karbala Corps
Nouh Corps

Regular Army (30%) with some artillery and armour
Strength
300,000 (four armies) 150,000–200,000 (six divisions from army & rest from the Basij militia)
Casualties and losses

10,000 killed
1,750 captured


150 tanks and 10 aircraft lost

40,000 killed
80,000 wounded


218 armored vehicles
21 boats
≈2 million civilians displaced
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