Battle of Hillah (2003)
Battle of Al Hillah (2003) | |||||||
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Part of 2003 Invasion of Iraq | |||||||
US Marines in Al Hillah | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States United Kingdom Poland | Iraq | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Joseph Anderson Brian Burridge | Unknown | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
10th Mountain Division JW GROM | 2nd Al Medina Armored Division | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Tens of thousands | ≈10,000 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
1 killed wounded unknown 8 attack helicopters damaged |
1,200+ killed & wounded 2 field artillery batteries destroyed 1 AA battery destroyed 1 armoured company destroyed 1 infantry battalion destroyed | ||||||
551 Iraqi civilian casualties (19 killed, 515 wounded, 17 unspecified) | |||||||
Civilian casualties resulted from heavy barrage by the 2nd Al Medina Armored Division on densely populated urban areas (Coalition forces were attempting to move through the area at the time of the attack) |
The Battle of Al Hillah was an armed military confrontation between military elements of the United States and Iraq during the
The Battle
Fighting in Al Hillah began on 31 March 2003 when a platoon from the 101st Airborne Division riding exposed on tanks from 2-70 Armor crossed into southern Al Hillah from
After nearly 15 minutes of intense gun battle, US ground units halted near the campus of
At 1730 hours AST, US Colonel Joseph Anderson ordered Coalition forces to withdraw. One US soldier had been killed in the battle, but the fighting had cost the Iraqis 1,200 or more soldiers killed or wounded, one Republican Guard infantry battalion, one armored company, two field artillery batteries, and one antiaircraft battery.[2]
Following the withdrawal, Coalition aircraft launched an assault on the remaining defenses in Al Hillah. Numerous cluster bombs were dropped, causing military and civilian casualties. Following the bombing, Coalition forces advanced into Al Hillah and captured the city by the end of 1 April, encountering sparse resistance. With Al Hillah captured, Coalition forces were clear to advance towards Najaf.
Aftermath
Small pockets of resistance, composed mostly of Iraqi irregulars, continued to hold out in Al Hillah until 11 April, but nearly all Iraqi military resistance in the city had been annihilated and the Republican Guard no longer posed a serious threat to Coalition forces.[2]
References
- ^ Hillah#U.S. invasion of Iraq
- ^ a b c d "STRIKE_History_for_31_March_-_06_April_2013" (PDF). lzsally.com.
- ^ Task Force Black: The Explosive True Story of the SAS and the Secret War in Iraq by Mark Urban