Existing comment:
The Battle for Fallujah:
The city of Fallujah was a hotbed of anti-coalition activity by late 2004. In November, about 15,000 US Army, Marine, and Iraqi forces assaulted insurgents entrenched there. The main attack force included the Army's 2nd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, and 2nd Battalion, 2nd Infantry; the Marine Corps 1st and 7th Regiments; and friendly Iraqi troops. Supporting elements established a cordon around the city to prevent a terrorist withdrawal. The attack methodically cleared buildings and roadblocks, sweeping through the city from north to south. Enemy fighters had dug trenches, built bunkers, emplaced IEDs, rigged buildings and vehicles with explosives, and stored massive quantities of weapons and equipment in caches across the city. The American forces relied upon combined arms teams of Abrams tanks, Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, infantry, fire support, and close air attacks. Unmanned aerial vehicles also provided continuous reconnaissance and identified targets. Despite the grueling nature of the operation and the sudden eruption of short range firefights, American tanks and infantry steadily eliminated the stubborn defenders. The battle ended with the destruction of the terrorist presence in Fallujah. |