Thirsty Sands

بریده‌ای از کتاب Thirsty Sands

At 6 P.M in the dusk we moved towards our predetermined objectives. The last to whom I bid farewell was martyr Bahman Najafi, deputy commander of the Ammar Brigade. We comprised three battalions from Muhammad Rasollolah (SAW) Army and three battalions of the Ashura Army. At the start of our advance it began to grow dark and as usual when this happened the Iraqis did not dare to make a move, afraid to get out or retreat in conditions of darkness. The entire area of battlefield was constantly kept alight by flares fired to keep the sky alight over the battlefield. As we began advancing some 25km into Iraqi lines, we were able to spot Iraqi vehicles along the road. It was 11:00 P. M. While advancing towards the Iraqi positions, we ran into a tangle of telephone wires, which we constantly cut before going further. Then suddenly a few meters ahead a mine blasted off lightening up the surrounding area, touched off by the foot of one of our friends. In a flash of a moment we all lay flat on the ground. As flares illumined the sky, the enemy began firing. Shells thumped on the ground everywhere around our friends. Minutes later, as the firing began to die down we continued our advance. Moments later again, another powerful blast dazzled us all. And in next to no time the men lay bathed in a welter of their blood. I t was the shattering explosion of a mine yet again. One of the boys was reciting Shahadatain in a loud voice, the other repeated greetings to Aba Abdullah in homage: “Greetings to you O Aba Abdollah.” Three or four of the boys seemed to have gone into the long deep sleep of eternity. We stood all amazed. It was only then that it dawned on us that we had been trapped in an enemy minefield. Nevertheless the Iraqis hall not noticed our presence; only fired sporadically from time to time.