The 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) Division is among IRGC units that was present in the Sacred Defense.

With the beginning of the Imposed War and Iraqi Army attack on Iran, Qom IRGC combatants along with forces of other regions of country were present in various front regions including Abadan, Khorramshahr and Darkhovin (Khuzestan) and also in Ilam and Kermanshah provinces.⁠[1] In continuation and in various operations to liberate Khuzestan including Samen al-Aemmeh (PBUH) (October 1981 - breaking siege of Abadan) they were present.⁠[2] In continuation, the IRGC also created eight new brigades before Fath al-Mobin Operation. Among them in winter 1982 forces stationed in Shush region (Khuzestan) formed a brigade;⁠[3] due to large presence of Qom forces in this brigade, in memory of Hazrat Fatemeh Masoumeh (PBUH) the brigade name became Qom and in memory of uprising of people of this city protesting insulting article of Ettelaat newspaper on 7 January 1978, its number became 17.⁠[4]

In January 1982 Morteza Saffari became commander of 17th Qom Brigade and assigned to form it on Shush front. First forces of this unit were IRGC and Basij forces dispatched from Qom, Mashhad, Behbahan and Shush which were organized in two battalions. These forces were stationed on hills and heights between Zan to Abbas Soltan villages west of Shush city.⁠[5]

Simultaneously with formation of 17th Brigade, Fajr Headquarters was formed in Shush and with appointment of Morteza Saffari as deputy of this headquarters, Hossein-Ali Torki became commander of 17th Qom Brigade who was martyred on 24 January 1982 on Shush front and Hassan Darvish became brigade commander.⁠[6]

Command and initial cadre of 17th Qom Brigade mostly included local forces of this city. This brigade initially had two Tabouk and Malek battalions, but with increase of forces expanded to seven battalions. Guards and Basijis of 17th Qom Brigade had been dispatched from Bushehr, Fars, Isfahan, Mashhad, Khuzestan and Qom provinces which were organized in Raad, Saeqeh, Jondollah, Tabouk, Abuzar, Baqiyatallah and Qareeh battalions⁠[7] which on 22 March 1982 participated in Fath al-Mobin Operation⁠[8] in west Karkheh region.⁠[9]

During planning Beit al-Moqaddas Operation, it was decided simultaneously with this operation, a secondary action to destroy enemy and capture heights 181 and 182 and keep enemy engaged and prevent their movement and dispatch to Beit al-Moqaddas operational region be carried out⁠[10] which this mission was assigned to IRGC Fajr Headquarters including 2 independent brigades of 17th Qom and 33rd al-Mahdi and two battalions from 77th Division (Army).⁠[11]This action simultaneously with second phase of Beit al-Moqaddas Operation was carried out on 6 May 1982 and on Fakkah axis one enemy tank battalion was destroyed.⁠[12]

After two years from start of Imposed War, support of each unit was entrusted to one of eleven country zones and support of 17th Brigade was assigned to IRGC Region 1, i. e. Markazi, Semnan and Zanjan provinces.⁠[13]

In sixth half-year of Imposed War, order to convert IRGC brigades to divisions was issued⁠[14] and on eve of Valfajr Preliminary Operation, 17th Qom Brigade was upgraded to 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) Division. Its first commander also became Mehdi Zeinoddin.⁠[15]

The 17th Brigade in form of Fath Headquarters⁠[16] along with other Army and IRGC units was present in Ramadan Operation (13 July 1982 - east of Basra)⁠[17] which led to liberation of 250 square kilometers of Iranian soil.⁠[18]

In February 1983 and on eve of Valfajr Preliminary Operation, al-Hadi (Brigade 1) and Hazrat Masoumeh (PBUH) (Brigade 2) were formed in 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) Division; commander of Brigade 1, Reza Hassanpour and Zanjan and Qazvin IRGC supported its rear and Mohammad Bonyadi commander of Brigade 2 and Markazi, Semnan and Qom IRGC undertook its manpower supply and support.⁠[19]

The 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) Division, in March 1984 with 2 brigades and total 28 battalions in Kheibar Operation,⁠[20] in March 1985 with 3 brigades in Badr Operation,⁠[21] in February 1986 with 2 brigades in Valfajr 8 Operation,⁠[22] in December 1986⁠[23] with 10 battalions in Karbala 4 Operation⁠[24] and in January 1987 with 9 battalions⁠[25] in Karbala 5 Operation and in March 1988 with 6 battalions⁠[26] in Valfajr 10 Operation participated.⁠[27] After Valfajr 10 Operation (June 1988), the 17th Division was divided into two 17th and 71st Roohollah Divisions.⁠[28] On 27 July 1988 also this division participated with 3 battalions in the last offensive operation in Mersad Operation⁠[29] which led to defeat of Monafeqin.⁠[30]

Combat units of 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) Division in eight years of Sacred Defense included Vali-e Asr (AJ), Karbala, Musa ibn Jafar (PBUH), Mohammad Rasoulallah (PBUH), Roohollah, Imam Sajjad (PBUH), Imam Reza (PBUH), Qamar Bani Hashem (PBUH), Seyyed al-Shohada (PBUH), Hazrat Masoumeh (PBUH), Imam Hassan (PBUH), Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) and Imam Hussein (PBUH) battalions⁠[31]which played role in 20 offensive operations and 28 defensive operations. In total 4 thousand personnel of this division were also martyred⁠[32] of whom Mehdi Zeinoddin and Hossein-Ali Torki Harchagani commanders of division are among these martyrs.⁠[33] Also Abdorrahim Bouaisha from Algeria and Kamal Kuseh from France are non-Iranian martyrs of this division in Sacred Defense.⁠[34]

Morteza Saffari, Hossein-Ali Torki Harchagani, Hassan Darvish, Mehdi Zeinoddin, Gholam-Reza Jafari and Mohammad Mirjani from 1981 until end of Sacred Defense held command of 17th Division.⁠[35] Also during Sacred Defense years, four units including 12th Qaem (AJ) Independent Brigade, Saheb al-Zaman (AJ) Independent Brigade, 42nd Qadr Engineering Division and 71st Roohollah Division branched off from 17th Division.⁠[36] Now the 17th Ali ibn Abi Talib (PBUH) Division is subset of Qom Province IRGC and Sardar Hossein Tanavar holds its command.