IRAN-IRAQ FRONTLINE

File: 110296_cia_93664_72539_01.txt
Page: 01
Total Pages: 2
SUBJECT: IRAN-IRAQ FRONTLINE

NOT FINALLY EVALUATED INTELLIGENCE







TO FACILITATE ELECTRONIC ACCESS, THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN

REFORMATTED TO ELIMINATE INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT PERTAIN

TO GULF WAR ILLNESS ISSUES OR THAT IS CLASSIFIED. A COPY OF

THIS REDACTED DOCUMENT, IN ORIGINAL FORMAT, IS AVAILABLE ON

REQUEST.







HEADER:





CONTROLS:

         271856Z JUL 88









R271856Z JUL 88







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SUBJ:

TEXT:







ITEM/013/IRAN-IRAQ FRONTLINE            /CTY:IR/Y

LOC/GEO:302700N0481500E



STATACT/OPR

RMK/STATUS OF FORCES.          



IRAQI FORCES CONTINUE TO WITHDRAW FROM THE CENTRAL BATTLE SECTOR

WHILE AN IRANIAN COUNTER-OFFENSIVE IS PRODUCING HEAVY FIGHTING IN

THE SOUTHERN BATTLE SECTOR. IN ADDITION, PREPARATIONS WERE

CONTINUING AT TALLIL AIRFIELD IN IRAQ FOR THE POSSIBLE USE OF AIR

DEPLOYABLE CHEMICAL WEAPONS (CW) MUNITIONS.        







CENTRAL BATTLE SECTOR:







GILAN-E GHARB AREA --







IRAQI FORCES CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN FORWARD POSITIONS NEAR

QASEMABAB, NORTH OF GILAN-E GHARB IN IRAN. SOME WITHDRAWAL OF

SUPPORT ELEMENTS AND AT LEAST ONE FIELD ARTILLERY BATTALION, AND

SOME MINOR REPOSITIONING OF IRAQI UNITS HAS OCCURRED NORTH OF THE

FRONTLINE.







QASR-E SHIRIN AREA --







IRAQI FORCES CONTINUE TO OCCUPY THE QASR-E SHIRIN AREA IN IRAN

WITH ARTILLERY SHELLING UNDERWAY 5 NM TO THE SOUTH. NEARBY, A LOW

LEVEL OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC          ON THE ROAD BETWEEN QASR-E

SHIRIN AND JHANAQIN. IN KHANAQIN, A HEAVY LIFT TRANSPORT COMPANY

WAS UPLOADING NEWLY ARRIVED IRAQI ARMORED VEHICLES FOR PROBABLE

TRANSPORT OUT OF THE AREA. A CONVOY OF 13 EMPTY TRANSPORTERS WERE

ENROUTE TO KHANAQIN ON THE ROAD 12 NM SOUTHWEST OF THE VILLAGE

NEW UNITS IN THE KHANAQIN AREA INCLUDE A TANK COMPANY IN COLUMN

FORMATION, A GHN-45 HEAVY ARTILLERY BATTALION, A FIELD DEPLOYED

SA-2 SITE, AND AT LEAST THREE ARTILLERY BATTALIONS. IN ADDITION,

AT LEAST FIVE BATTALION-SIZED SUPPORT UNITS HAVE DEPARTED THE

AREA. HEAVY LIFT TRANSPORTERS WERE REMOVING CAPTURED IRANIAN

EQUIPMENT FROM OPEN STORAGE AREAS NEAR THE VILLAGE.







NAFT-E SHAH AREA--







IRAQI FORCES WERE CONTINUING TO LOAD CAPTURED IRANIAN VEHICLES ON

HEAVY-LIFT TRANSPORTERS. ELEMENTS OF AN IRAQI MECHANIZED INFANTRY

COMPANY WERE IN CONVOY AND MAY HAVE BEEN PREPARING TO DEPART A

FORWARD DEPLOYMENT AREA IN THE MOUNTAINS 9NM EAST OF NAFT-E SHAH.





MANDALI AREA--







IRAQI ARMORED FORCES CONTINUE THEIR WITHDRAWAL FROM BOTH THE

NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST. SEVERAL FIRES WERE BURNING AT IRANIAN

LOGISTICS DEPOTS.

THE IRAQIS HAVE BLOWN A BRIDGE SPANNING THE RUDKHANEH-YE GANGIR

RIVER IN THE VICINITY OF 33-52N 045-50E                 . THIS MAY 

BE IN PREPARATION FOR A WITHDRAWAL OF IRAQI FORCES FROM THE EAST.

A HEAVY-LIFT TRANSPORT COMPANY WITH UPLOADED ARMORED VEHICLES WAS

12 NM WEST-NORTHWEST OF MANDALI AND MAY HAVE BEEN

REPOSITIONING-WITHDRAWING PREVIOUSLY DEPLOYED IRAQI ARMOR USED IN

THE OFFENSIVE.







SOUTHERN BATTLE SECTOR:







HEAVY SHELLING WAS ONGOING IN THE FISH LAKE AREA WITH IRANIAN

FORCES AUGMENTED           IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPEL AN IRAQI

ARMORED FORCE WHICH HAD ENTERED IRANIAN TERRITORY, ELEMENTS OF

THREE IRANIAN SELF-PROPELLED ARTILLERY BATTERIES WERE DEPLOYED TO

POSITIONS 5 NM EAST OF FISH LAKE SINCE          JULY. IN ADDITION, ONE 

IRANIAN TANK BATTALION HAD ARRIVED IN AN AREA 12 NM EAST OF THE



BATTLE AREA SINCE         JULY, WHILE TWO ADDITIONAL ARTILLERY

BATTERIES WERE DEPLOYED 8 NM NORTHEAST OF ABADAN SINCE          JULY.

ALTHOUGH THE DISPOSITION OF          ADVANCING IRAQI FORCE ONTO 

IRANIAN TERRITORY           THE DISPOSITION OF

OTHER IRAQI FORCES          ESSENTIALLY UNCHANGED. CONSTRUCTION OF

DEFENSIVE POSITIONS CONTINUED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONTLINE.







TALLIL AIRFIELD:







PREPARATIONS FOR POSSIBLE CHEMICAL WEAPON (CW) AIR STRIKES WERE

CONTINUING. ONE LONGBED TRAILER ASSOCIATED WITH IRAQI CHEMICAL

WEAPONRY REMAINED IN THE CW-ASSOCIATED STORAGE BUNKER AND AT LEAST

FIVE ADDITIONAL TRAILERS WERE OUTSIDE OF THE STORAGE BUNKER. AT

LEAST TWO OF THE THIRTEEN FITTER FIGHTER-BOMBERS IN THE DISPERSAL

AREA HAD MUNITIONS-HANDLING DOLLIES IN THE AREA. THE TWENTY-TWO

DOLLIES AND LONGBED TRAILER            IN THE DISPERSAL

AREA WERE NO LONGER PRESENT.







ADMIN:

DECL: OADR

BT

EOM:







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93664-72539