sentences:  The infantry force (which never had a chance to join the battle) instead moved into a defensive position to prevent an Iraqi counterattack.Iranian engineers at the last second managed to rebuild the pontoon bridges over the Karkheh river, and the third Iranian tank brigade managed to break away from the combat and retreat from the Iraqi forces and move back across the Karkheh River.Meanwhile, during the débâcle at Dezful, Iranian infantry forces at besieged Abadan attempted their breakout, in order to link up with the armored column.