First Battle of Fallujah
The First Battle of Fallujah, code-named Operation Vigilant Resolve, was an operation against militants in Fallujah as well as an attempt to apprehend or kill the perpetrators of the killing of four U.S. contractors in March 2004.
First Battle of Fallujah | |||||||
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Part of the Iraq War | |||||||
A U.S. Marine from the 1st Marine Division mans an M240G machine gun outside the Fallujah city limits in April 2004. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United States United Kingdom |
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Islamic Army in Iraq Ba'ath Party loyalists Other Sunni insurgents | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
James T. Conway James Mattis John A. Toolan | Abu Musab al-Zarqawi | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
I Marine Expeditionary Force 82nd Airborne Division 101st Airborne Division 3rd Cavalry Regiment 10th Mountain Division 1st Infantry Division 5th Special Forces Group Delta Force Blackwater USA |
Islamic Army in Iraq Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
10,000+ | 3,600 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
27 killed | 184–228 killed (Iraq Body Count) | ||||||
572–616 civilians killed (Iraq Body Count) | |||||||
Location within Iraq |
The chief catalyst for the operation was the highly publicized killing and mutilation of four Blackwater USA private military contractors, and the killings of five American soldiers in Habbaniyah a few days earlier.
The battle polarized public opinion within Iraq.
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