36 years since Operation Mersad

By this time, most of the enemy armour was destroyed, in a miniature version of the Highway of Death during the Gulf War.[12] The MEK advance had been abruptly and completely halted. The Iranian army and Revolutionary Guard then moved north from Khuzestan, encircling and suppressing the remaining resistance in the city of Kerend-e Gharb on 29 July 1988.[99] On 31 July, Iran drove the Iraqis and MEK forces out of Qasr-e-Shirin and Sarpol Zahab, though Iraq claimed to have "voluntarily withdrawn" from the towns.[12][99] Iran estimated that 4,500 Mujahedeen and Iraqi soldiers were killed, while 400 Iranian soldiers died.[104] The Iranian successes during Operation Mersad were partially due to their decision to establish a unified command structure and permanently quash the differences between the Army and the Revolutionary Guard.