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Army: Sacred Defense era a shining light for next generations

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Sept 19, IRNA -- Iran's Army in a message on Monday referred to the eight years of Iranians Sacred Defense against invasion of Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath regime as a shining light for the next generations resulted from sacrifices and bravaries of the Iranian forces.

In a statement issued on the occasion of the 36th annual Sacred Defense Week to start on September 20, the Army hailed the sublime position of Sacred Defense martyrs and said they sacrificed their lives to safeguard the honor and dignity of the future generations.

Shahrivar 31 (according to the Iranian calander year) marks anniversary of the Iraqi Ba'ath regime's invasion on Iran in 1980 which was the beginning of an eight-year imposed war against the newly-born Islamic Revolution.

The imposed war is commemorated in Iran every year as the eight years of Sacred Defense. Each year, Iranian Armed Forces stage nationwide military parades to mark the war's anniversary.

The Army statement commemorated memories of the late Founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran Imam Khomeini and those of all wartime martyrs, especially the 48,000 members of Army who sacrificed their lives in battel fields.

It warned the present young generation that enemies of the country have transformed the hard fight into the soft fight.

It was stressed in the Army statement that Iran's Armed Forces, Army in particular, would stay vigilant against any plots made by the enemies.

'Iran's vigilant troops would closely monitor any move made by the enemies and will not allow the country and the nation face the least threat,' it said in conclusion.

Saddam's Air Force launched surprise airstrikes on ten Iranian airfields to destroy the Iranian Air Force on September 22, 1980, making use of the then advanced military armaments supplied by a number of hostile countries towards Iran plus more than 80 billion dollar of their financial support.

Iran thwarted the attack through numerous successful operations.

Saddam's invasion came less than two years after the Islamic Revolution.

A large number of volunteers joined the Iranian Armed Forces to defend their country against the Iraqi aggressor under the leadership of the late Imam Khomeini.

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