Operation Market Sweep
Timelines
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
Phases
- Invasion
- Post-invasion insurgency
- Civil war
- Insurgency 2008-2011
- US withdrawal violence
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Battles and operations of the Iraq War |
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Invasion (2003)
Post-invasion insurgency
Civil War
Surge (2007)
Insurgency (2008-2011)
Drawdown
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Insurgent attacks of the Iraq War |
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‡ indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
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During the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, or Iraq War, Operation Market Sweep was a successful raid into the downtown Fallujah arms market by troops from the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division on 13 January 2004.
Numerous attempts had been made by coalition forces prior to Market Sweep, but none had yielded desirable results. This operation reportedly captured more than 100 rifles, two heavy machine guns, 6,500 round of ammunition, 18 rockets, 244 grenades, 150 mortars and various explosive devices (to include 17 improvised explosive devices), and more than 60 suspects. The raid was recounted in an Army News Service article:
“It was difficult (during previous operations) to approach the market. It has many narrow alleys and corridors,” said Maj. Steve Sears, 3rd Brigade Fire Support Officer. “As we approached, oftentimes (the arms dealers) would receive word that we were coming, lock up their shops and leave.” Nearly an entire battalion of troops approached the market by zigzagging through the streets, ensuring not to reveal the area in which they were going to stop. They then sealed off two key bridges leading to the market, so that no one could enter or flee. Finally, a group of paratroopers, undetected by the black market dealers, entered the market area and conducted precision searches of several different stores. Due to superior intelligence gathering, the paratroopers were aware of several predetermined stores that were selling a variety of illegal weapons and materials. With this intelligence, the troops captured dealers and confiscated many weapons.
Operation Market Sweep is also recounted in the 2005 book by journalist Mike Tucker, Among Warriors in Iraq: True Grit, Special Ops, and Raiding in Mosul and Fallujah.
Read more about Operation Market Sweep: Fallujah Weapons Market History
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