Editing Iran–Iraq War (section)

====Strategic situation in late 1987====
{{Main|Operation Nimble Archer}}

[[File:Adnan Khairallah Army.jpg|thumb|[[Adnan Khairallah]], Iraqi Defence Minister, meeting with Iraqi soldiers during the war]]

By the end of 1987, Iraq possessed 5,550 tanks, outnumbering the Iranians six to one, and 900 fighter aircraft, outnumbering the Iranians ten to one.<ref name="Farrokh 03" /> After Operation Karbala-5, Iraq only had 100 qualified fighter pilots remaining. Therefore, Iraq began to invest in recruiting foreign pilots from countries such as [[Belgium]], [[South Africa]], [[Pakistan]], [[East Germany]] and the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://kavehfarrokh.com/military-history-1900-present/western-pakistani-and-egyptian-pilots-flying-iraqi-combat-aircraft-during-iran-iraq-war/|title=Kaveh Farrokh {{pipe}} Western, Pakistani and Egyptian pilots flying Iraqi Combat Aircraft during the Iran–Iraq War|access-date=29 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116001004/https://kavehfarrokh.com/military-history-1900-present/western-pakistani-and-egyptian-pilots-flying-iraqi-combat-aircraft-during-iran-iraq-war/|archive-date=16 November 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> They replenished their manpower by integrating volunteers from other Arab countries into their army. Iraq also became self-sufficient in chemical weapons and some conventional ones and received much equipment from abroad. Foreign support helped Iraq bypass its economic troubles and massive debt to continue the war and increase the size of its military.<ref name="Farrokh 03" />

While the southern and central fronts were at a stalemate, Iran began to focus on carrying out offensives in northern Iraq with the help of the Peshmerga (Kurdish [[insurgent]]s). The Iranians used a combination of semi-guerrilla and infiltration tactics in the Kurdish mountains with the Peshmerga. During [[Operation Karbala-9]] in early April, Iran captured territory near Suleimaniya, provoking a severe poison gas counter-attack. During [[Operation Karbala-10]], Iran attacked near the same area, capturing more territory. During Operation Nasr-4, the Iranians surrounded the city of Suleimaniya and, with the help of the Peshmerga, infiltrated over 140&nbsp;km into Iraq and raided and threatened to capture the oil-rich city of [[Kirkuk]] and other northern oilfields.<ref name="Dunn 1998" />