Invasion of Iraq Al-Karmah

op 2a after svbied attack



op 2a after svbied attack

in september 2005, site first establishment of new iraqi army s operations in area, in form of 1st battalion, 4th brigade, 1st division operating @ observation post 3 , camp donnica, although still housed strong anti-american presence of local insurgents. on july 8 of year, ied struck convoy, before insurgents fired mortars on damaged convoy, resulting in many wounded casualties.

a mossberg 590 being used marine door breaching in karmah in 2005.

on october 6, 2005 marine convoy 2nd battalion, 2nd marines, golf company, weapons platoon struck ied; killing 4 marines , injuring 3 others.

in november 2005, first iraqi police station established in karmah. met violence local population, opposed coalition forces. station attacked insurgents, causing iraqi police abandon post. station became observation post marines of 2nd battalion, 2nd marines, golf company, weapons platoon. on november 19, 2005, insurgent sniper shot , killed marine lance corporal standing post on roof of police station. on december 24, 2005 marines of weapons platoon faced substantial insurgent attack resulted in destruction of part of compound due hand-placed explosive device. video of attack recovered dead insurgent , can seen on internet. during attack, squad of marines held off insurgents on 10 minutes until vehicle-mounted quick reaction force (qrf) arrived nearby op3.

during 2006 city seeing greater iraqi army , iraqi police presence, @ time violence continued @ steady rate using multiple small arms ambushes on both foot , vehicle patrols, , ied attacks, utilizing combined arms attacks mortar attacks on blast sites resulting in multiple american , iraqi army casualties. in late 2006, during sniper attack in al-karmah, series of iconic photographs taken new york times photographer joão silva , reporter c. j. chivers. attack involved weapons company, 2nd battalion 8th marines , sgt. jesse e. leach, became known iron sergeant .

on february 7, 2007, marine ch-46e sea knight hmm-364 shot down shoulder-fired missile, killing 7 on board. 3 of army engineers of co. 321st engineers sent secure wreckage killed ied 13 days later, forces raided car bomb factory discovered 5 vehicles, 3 55-gallon barrels of chlorine, 3 barrels of nitroglycerine, artillery rounds , bombs. 1 man detained, , stated factory run al-qaeda. on march 17, insurgents attacked army foot patrol, killing 2 of them. eleven days later, national guard humvee reported destroyed, insurgents claiming aboard killed. 2 days later, less successful bomb destroyed humvee, no casualties. on april 2, humvee reported destroyed, aboard once again reported killed.

ltcol nathan nastase members of karmah city council in iraq, 2007. many of these individuals killed in june 2008 when suicide bomber attacked council.

on august 31, 2007, safe house wired explosives destroyed in city, believed have been arms cache launching point mortars had targeted police station in karma.

on may 2, 2008 4 marines killed in roadside blast in lahib, farming village east of karmah.

on june 26, 2008, 3 marines 2nd battalion 3rd marines (including battalion s commanding officer), twenty iraqi sheiks , mayor of karmah, killed when suicide bomber dressed iraqi policeman detonated explosive vest @ meeting of tribal sheiks. 2 interpreters killed in blast. aftermath of attack captured on film photojournalist zoriah miller.

on february 8, 2009, local police chief lieutenant col. abd al salam killed 300-pound ied.