Battle Of Basra (2008)
|
Iraq War
|
|
|
Timelines
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
Phases
- Invasion
- Post-invasion insurgency
- Civil war
- Insurgency 2008-2011
Battles and operations
of the Iraq War
|
|
|
Invasion (2003)
- Umm Qasr
- Al Faw
- 1st Basra
- Nasiriyah
- Raid on Karbala
- 1st Najaf
- Northern Delay
- Viking Hammer
- Samawah
- 1st Karbala
- Al Kut
- Hillah
- Green Line
- Karbala Gap
- Baghdad
- Debecka Pass
- Kani Domlan Ridge
Post-invasion insurgency
- Al Anbar
- 1st Ramadan
- Red Dawn
- Spring 2004
- 1st Fallujah
- Sadr City
- 1st Ramadi
- Husaybah
- 2nd Najaf
- CIMIC-House
- Samarra
- 2nd Fallujah
- Mosul
- Lake Tharthar
- Al Qaim
- Hit
- Haditha
- Steel Curtain
- Tal Afar
- 2nd Ramadi
- Together Forward
- Diwaniya
Civil War
- 2nd Ramadan
- Sinbad
- Amarah
- Turki
- Diyala
- Haifa Street
- Karbala Raid
- 3rd Najaf
- Imposing Law
- U.K. bases
- Black Eagle
Surge (2007)
- Baghdad belts
- Baqubah
- Donkey Island
- Shurta Nasir
- Phantom Strike
- 2nd Karbala
- Phantom Phoenix
Insurgency (2008-2011)
- 2008 Day of Ashura
- Ninawa
- Spring 2008
- 2nd Basra
- 2008 Al-Qaeda Offensive
- Augurs of Prosperity
- Abu Kamal
Drawdown
|
Insurgent attacks of the
Iraq War
|
|
|
‡ indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.
- 2003
- 1st Baghdad
- 2nd Baghdad
- Najaf
- 3rd Baghdad
- 1st Nasiriyah
- 1st Karbala
- 2004
- ‡ Irbil
- ‡ Ashoura
- 1st Basra
- Mosul
- 4th Baghdad
- 5th Baghdad
- Karbala-Najaf
- 1st Baqubah
- Kufa
- FOB Marez
- 2005
- ‡ 1st Al Hillah
- ‡ Musayyib
- 6th Baghdad
- ‡ 7th Baghdad
- 1st Balad
- Khanaqin
- 2006
- ‡ Karbala-Ramadi
- 1st Samarra
- 8th Baghdad
- 9th Baghdad
- ‡ 10th Baghdad
- 2007
- 11th Baghdad
- 12th Baghdad
- ‡ 13th Baghdad
- 14th Baghdad
- 15th Baghdad
- 2nd Al Hillah
- ‡ 1st Tal Afar
- 16th Baghdad
- 17th Baghdad
- 2nd & 3rd Karbala
- ‡ 18th Baghdad
- Makhmour
- Abu Sayda
- 2nd Samarra
- 19th Baghdad
- ‡ Amirli
- 1st Kirkuk
- 20th Baghdad
- 21st Baghdad
- § Qahtaniya
- Amarah
- 2008
- 22nd Baghdad
- 2nd Balad
- 23rd Baghdad
- 4th Karbala
- 24th Baghdad
- Karmah
- 2nd Baqubah
- Dujail
- Balad Ruz
- 2009
- 25th Baghdad
- 26th Baghdad
- Baghdad-Muqdadiyah
- Taza
- 27th Baghdad
- 2nd Kirkuk
- 2nd Tal Afar
- ‡ 28th Baghdad
- ‡ 29th Baghdad
- ‡ 30th Baghdad
- 2010
- 31st Baghdad
- 32nd Baghdad
- 3rd Baqubah
- 33rd Baghdad
- 34th Baghdad
- 35th Baghdad
- ‡ 1st Pan-Iraq
- 36th Baghdad
- 37th Baghdad
- 2nd Pan-Iraq
- 38th Baghdad
- 39th Baghdad
- ‡ 40th Baghdad
- 2011
- 41st Baghdad
- ‡ 3rd Pan-Iraq
- Karbala-Baghdad
- 42nd Baghdad
- Tikrit
- 3rd Al Hillah
- 3rd Samarra
- Al Diwaniyah
- Taji
- 4th Pan-Iraq
- 43rd Baghdad
- 4th Karbala
- 44th Baghdad
- 2nd Basra
|
|
|
|
Battles Involving the Mahdi Army
|
|
- Najaf
- Sadr City (2004)
- Amarah
- Haifa Street
- Basra (2007)
- Diwaniya
- Operation Black Eagle
- Karbala
- Operation Lion's Leap
- Spring 2008
- Basra (2008)
- Sadr City (2008)
- Amarah (2008)
|
|
- For other battles of Basra, see Battle of Basra (disambiguation).
The Battle of Basra began on March 25, 2008, when the Iraqi Army launched an operation (code-named Saulat al-Fursan, meaning Operation Charge of the Knights in Arabic) to drive the Mahdi Army militia out of the southern Iraqi city of Basra. The operation was the first major operation to be planned and carried out by the Iraqi Army since the invasion of 2003.
Coalition and Iraqi aircraft patrolled the skies above Basra providing intelligence and carrying out air strikes in support of Iraqi forces on the ground. Coalition forces provided embedded military transition teams (MiTTs) in Iraqi Army units and American special forces also conducted joint operations with ISOF units.
Iraqi forces faced heavy resistance from Mahdi Army militia inside the city and the offensive stalled, requiring American and British air and artillery support, eventually resulting in a stand-off. More than 1,000 casualties resulted in six days of heavy fighting.
Following a ceasefire negotiated in Iran on March 31, Muqtada al-Sadr withdrew his fighters from the streets, but had gained a major political victory. However, the Iraqi Army, reinforced with brigades from other parts of Iraq, including the 1st Division from al-Anbar, continued to carry out slower, more deliberate clearing operations in militia strongholds. The Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, as well as Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF), carried out a number of targeted raids on militia leaders. By April 20, the Iraqi army had taken control of the last major district controlled by the Mahdi Army and by April 24, Iraqi forces claimed to be in full control of the city centre.