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Memories of Iranian Veteran from Zufar War
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Leftist rebels of Zufar, Oman, who was supported by some communist countries as Yemen, fought against Kingdom of Oman for independence. Military forces of Iran, Jordan and England were sent to Oman after Sultan Qaboos request to prevent the expansion of communism and the rebels were suppressed finally.
There has been much information published on this war in Medias or written forms, displaying the history of Iranian affairs with Oman in second Pahlavi’s era. But oral history of this period has not been paid much attention. Some 40 years has passed from this event and many of those participating in this war are yet among us. You can find out valuable information on Zufar war and its side effects in their memories. Here is memories of EzatollahShahabi, a retired teacher, from 4 months presence in this war.
“I was conscripted in 1973. Almost a year later, there was a rumor about dispatching an infantry unit to Oman. It came to reality and in November, 1974, I was sent to Zufar”, Shahabi said.
“Going to an known region and involving in a war situation which is not essentially related to Iranian soldiers generated a sad situation for those dispatched. We should enter a region in which the rebels used guerrilla war methods and there were little chance to return”, he said.
“Despite of the orders, I wrote a letter to my mother and explained my reluctance for going to Oman. I wrote that I was not happy but she should not be worried”, Shahabi said.
After elementary military trainings, our plane, carrying three military companies and a logistic one, including 700 soldiers, landed in a desert region called Manston. We passed other 15 days of training there, too”, he added.
Army vehicles took us some 15 to 20 kilometers to reach the threshold of the multitude timbered region of Zufar. We spent the night there with a distasteful accident, which badly affected us. When we were digging our individual dugouts, Fanaei, an enlisted sergeant from Isfahan, stepped on a mine and was injured. He was sent back. The next morning, we reached a place where its trees were squashed as if a bulldozer had driven on them. Parts of the rout was gone by car. Finally we reached a place called Shir Shiti. Our company deployed there and the other two military groups left for strategic hills overlooking the important port of Rakhivat”, he said.
“The duty of our company was patrolling and back up. The main conflicts were between those companies deployed near port of Rakhivat and the Zufar guerrillas. 26 Iranian soldiers were killed or wounded there. Colonel Hafezi, commander of our battalion, and also the commander of the second company were among those killed”, Shahabi said.
“This mission ended after four months and we returned to Manston and left Oman to Shiraz by plane in March19, 1975”, he added.
Translated by: Asghar Aboutorabi
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