View source for Operation Dawn 3

{{Citation style|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox military conflict
|conflict=Operation Dawn 3
|partof=[[Iran–Iraq War]]
|image= 
|caption= 
|date=30 July – 9 August 1983<br>({{Age in months, weeks and days|month1=07|day1=30|year1=1983|month2=08|day2=09|year2=1983}})
|place=[[Mehran, Ilam Province]]
|casus=
|territory=Iraq captures Mehran
|result=Iraqi victory
* Iranian offensive failure
* Iraqi counter-attack succeeds
|combatant1={{flagcountry|Iraq|1963}}
|combatant2={{flagcountry|Iran|1980}}
|combatant3=
|commander1=
|commander2=
|commander3=
|strength1=60,000
|strength2=180,000
|strength3=
|casualties1=6,000 killed<br />60 tanks lost<ref name=Razeoux>{{cite book |last1=Razoux |first1=Pierre |title=The Iran-Iraq War |date=2015 |publisher=Harvard University Press, 2015 |isbn=978-0674915718 |page=251 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FGsuCwAAQBAJ}}</ref>
|casualties2=7,000 killed<br />15,000 wounded<ref name=Razeoux/>
|casualties3=
|notes=
}}
{{Campaignbox Iran-Iraq War}}

'''Operation Dawn 3''' or '''Operation Valfajr-3''' ([[Persian language|Persian]]: عملیات والفجر-۳) was an operation during the [[Iran–Iraq War]]. The operation was launched in the range of "semi-extensive operation" located in the general area of [[Mehran, Ilam|Mehran]] (in [[Ilam province|Ilam Province]]);<ref>[https://www.yjc.ir/fa/news/4036374/%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D8%AC%D8%B13-%D8%B9%D9%85%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%A7%D8%AA%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1-%D9%BE%DB%8C%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%85%D9%86%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87 Walfajr-3 operation, a victor operation] yjc.ir Retrieved 9 November 2019</ref> and eventually led in the liberation of Mehran by Iranian forces.<ref>[https://www.mashreghnews.ir/news/755912/عملیات-والفجر3-چگونه-به-آزادی-مهران-منجر-شد How did Walfajr-3 operation led in the liberation of Mehran?] mashreghnews.ir Retrieved 9 November 2019</ref> Iran's goals of the operation were as follows:
* Liberation of Mehran city from the eye/range of the enemy
* Making facility in the relation of "[[Dehloran]]–[[Mehran, Ilam|Mehran]]" and also "[[Ilam, Iran|Ilam]]–Mehran"
* Modulation of defense lines against the enemy (Iraq), and pulling it from the heights to plain(s).<ref>[http://www.aviny.com/Occasion/enghelab_jang/defaemoghaddas/87/Amaliatha/Valfajr3/Sharh_natije.aspx Operation Walfajr-3] aviny.com Retrieved 3 November 2019</ref>

It was Iran's worst defeat out of all the [[Operation Dawn (1983)|Dawn operations]]. Around 180,000 Iranian troops participated in this offensive, which targeted the central front in the region of Mehran.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9muICwAAQBAJ&q=Operation+Dawn+3+iran&pg=PT10|title=The Iran–Iraq War 1980–1988|last=Karsh|first=Efraim|date=2014-06-06|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9781472809995|language=en}}</ref> However, withering Iraqi firepower in support of deeply entrenched troops slaughtered the advancing Iranians. Although Iranian troops were highly motivated, they were poorly trained and equipped for this battle. For Iran, the operation was a disaster.

The Iraqis struck back by emerging from their trenches to counterattack into [[Iran]] and capture [[Mehran, Ilam Province|Mehran]], for the second time.

== Background ==
The Operation Dawn 3 is part of the series of Dawn operations, which involved about 500,000 troops covering a 150-mile front.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dlm8VxJM-nAC&q=%22Operation+Dawn+3%22&pg=PT125|title=Iran and Christianity: Historical Identity and Present Relevance|last=Bradley|first=Mark|date=2011-10-27|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|isbn=9781441111142|language=en}}</ref> It was launched in February 1983 and was described by [[Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani|Speaker Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani]] as the final move towards ending the Iran-Iraq war.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Conflict and Insurgency in the Contemporary Middle East|last=Rubin|first=Barry|publisher=Routledge|year=2009|isbn=978-0415457583|location=Oxon|pages=56}}</ref> The first campaign was concentrated in the Hawizeh marsh area and in the Haj Omran during the Operation Dawn 2.<ref name=":0" /> These achieved only minimal gains and started to diminish the morale of the Iranian troops as well as the Iranian reputation.<ref name=":0" /> The Iranians began a new attack in July 1983 in the central (Zurbatiya) sector.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ow8oDwAAQBAJ&q=Operation+Valfajr+3&pg=PT218|title=Wars of Modern Babylon: A History of the Iraqi Army from 1921 to 2003|last=Malovany|first=Pesach|date=2017-06-16|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|isbn=9780813169453|language=en}}</ref>

==Battle==
The Iranians attempted to further exploit activities in the north after [[Operation Dawn 2]] on 30 July 1983. Iran saw an opportunity to sweep away Iraqi forces controlling the roads between the Iranian controlled mountain border towns of Mehran, Dehloran and Elam. Iraq conducted airstrikes against 50,000 Iranian forces lodged in mountainous terrain, exhausting themselves attempting to dislodge the Iranians. Realising they needed to alter their tactics, Iraq equipped attack helicopters with chemical warheads; while ineffective, it demonstrated both the Iraqi general staff's and Saddam's increasing interest in using chemical weapons. In the end, in total 17,000 soldiers had lost their lives,[clarification needed] with no gain for either country.[73]

== See also ==
* [[Operation Ashura (Iran)]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* [http://www.iranchamber.com/history/iran_iraq_war/iran_iraq_war2.php Iran Chamber Society (www.iranchamber.com)]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20040926093620/http://www.geocities.com/brianjamesdunn/fgwsummaryforweb.html geocities]

{{coord missing|Iraq}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dawn 3}}
[[Category:Military operations of the Iran–Iraq War in 1983]]
[[Category:Mehran County]]
[[Category:History of Ilam province]]
[[Category:July 1983 events in Asia]]
[[Category:August 1983 events in Asia]]

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