Operation Fath 1

Operation Fath 1
Part of Iran-Iraq War — Northern Front
Date 11–12 October 1986 (2 days) Location Kirkuk, Iraq Result Iranian victory
Belligerents
Iraq	Iran Iran (Pasdaran commander of the operation) Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK)
Commanders and leaders
	Yahya Rahim Safavi (deputy commander of IRGC) Mohammad-Baqer Zolqadr (IRGC commander of the operation) Jalal Talabani Nawshirwan Mustafa (Peshmerga commander of the operation)
Strength
Unknown	IRGC: 400 (not all of them engaged) Peshmerga: 2,000 partisans
Casualties and losses
600 killed and wounded dozens captured 1 helicopter destroyed

Operation Fath 1 (Persian: عملیات فتح 1, meaning "conquest"), or Operation Wahdat (Kurdish), was a joint Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish military operation conducted in 11 and 12 October 1986 in Kirkuk area of northern Iraq during the Iran-Iraq War. It was the first of the series of "Fath" operations conducted by the extraterritorial Ramazan Headquarters of IRGC and Peshmerga forces of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Special forces of IRGC and Peshmerga partisans conducted a well-planned infiltration and a surprise attack against important military and economic infrastructures in Kirkuk area. Facilities of the Kirkuk Oil Refinery, Petroleum Production Unit Number 1, Kirkuk Thermal Power Station, three SAM sites, Jambur, Jabal Bur, and Shwaru oil and gas separation facilities at south Kirkuk, as well as a eavesdropping, signals intelligence and parasite site at Saqqezli, Darman military base, and a train station were destroyed. Headquarters belonging to the Iraqi Army I Corps, 8th Division, Iraqi Intelligence Service, and MeK were attacked as well.

The operation was a result of an alliance between Iran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) of Iraqi Kurdistan, who were opposed to Saddam Hussein's government. It was the first major joint operation between Iranian and Iraqi Kurdish forces.

The 150 tonnes of military equipment along with 300 Pasdaran equipment personnel were transferred from Iran to Kirkuk behind enemy lines in a covert operation lasting for 40 days, which included:

Weapon	Number
Kalashnikov	1,500
B.K.C	40
DshK	15
RPG-7	60
120 mm mortar	3
81 mm mortar	2
120 mm mortar shells	1,500
81 mm mortar shells	1,000
60 mm mortar shells	500
60 mm gun rounds	500
107 mm gun rounds	2,000
RPG rocketes	7,354
Kalashnikov rounds	21,500
B.K.C rounds	10,000
DShK rounds	12,000

Various vehicles as well as mules were used for transportation. All of the equipment were transferred by Pasdaran forces to Iran after the operation.

Units

Iran

Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution:

• Ramazan Headquarters:
  Commanded by Mohammad-Baqer Zolqadr
  • 66th Airborne Special Brigade
    Commanded by Mohsen Shafaq
    • 7 platoons, 20 demolition units (230 personnel), supposed to be commanded by Sadegh Mahsouli
  • 75th Zafar Special Brigade
  • Equipment Group
    Commanded by Gholam Pakrooh
  • Active Protection System Group
    Commanded by Booyaghchi
  • Engineering Demoltion Group
    Commanded by Mohammad Asipoor
  • Medical Services Group
    Commanded by Naderi
  • Communication Group
    Commanded br Bifan

PUK

Peshmerga:

• تیپ21 کرکوک به فرماندهی کاک سیروان.
• تیپ25 خلفان به فرماندهی کاک ملا ارس.
• تیپ93 کوی سنجق به فرماندهی کاک ملا ابراهیم.
• تیپ23 یورداش به فرماندهی کاک نبغه.
• تیپ78 قره‌چرخ به فرماندهی کاک صفین.
• تیپ68 دشت هوله به فرماندهی کاک مام غفور.
• تیپ برانتی به فرماندهی کاک هیمن.
• تیپ51 گرمیان به فرماندهی کاک محمود لنگاوی.
• تیپ53 تیروانه به فرماندهی کاک عادل.
• تیپ57 سیگرمه به فرماندهی کاک آزاد.
• تیپ55 قره‌داغ به فرماندهی کاک آوات.

و دو تیپ حفاظتی مالبند (منطقه‌ی) 1و2 اتحادیه*

In media

Kirkuk Operation (Persian: عملیات کرکوک) is a 1991 Iranian movie directed and written by Jamal Shoorjeh.