Operation Viking Hammer

Operation Viking Hammer
Operation Viking Hammer
Part of 2003 Invasion of Iraq
Date March 28 - March 30, 2003
Location Around Halabja, Iraq
Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Ansar al-Islam
Islamic Group of Kurdistan[1][2]
United States United States
Iraqi Kurdistan Patriotic Union of Kurdistan
Commanders and leaders
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Mullah Ali Bapir
United States Lt. Col. Ken Tovo[3]
Iraqi Kurdistan Jalal Talabani
Strength
600-800 fighters[4] 7,000 PUK
~40 Americans[5]
Casualties and losses
150-200 KIA, remainder captured or fled to Iran (Ansar al-Islam)[6]
100 KIA {Islamic Group of Kurdistan}[7]
3 killed, 23 wounded (Kurds)
none (Americans)[8]

Operation Viking Hammer was a military operation of the Iraq War which took place in northern Iraq. The goal of the operation was to eliminate the Ansar al-Islam terrorist organization which was occupying part of Iraqi Kurdistan.

Contents

Background

Ansar al-Islam was an Islamist terrorist organization which had first appeared in northern Iraq in December 2001. The group was made up of a combination of Kurdish recruits and Arab veterans of the war in Afghanistan.[9] From 2001 to 2003, they fought against Kurdish forces in northern Iraq, carving out an enclave around the town of Halabja which they placed under their control. The CIA also suspected Ansar al-Islam of manufacturing chemical weapons and the poison Ricin in a factory in the town of Sargat.

In addition, at least two other militant Kurdish Islamic groups were operating in the region, and these generally aligned themselves with Ansar al-Islam.[2]

After Turkey had denied the U.S. 4th Infantry Division passage through their borders, the burden of carrying out the northern front of the war in Iraq fell on an ad hoc coalition of American Special Forces soldiers, airborne units parachuted into northern Iraq, and Kurdish Peshmerga forces of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Kurdish Democratic Party.[3] Before beginning the attack south, Coalition forces first needed to destroy Ansar al-Islam's enclave in order to secure the Kurdish rear areas and free Kurdish forces to take part in the advance southwards.[10]

Battle

Ansar al-Islam fighters held a series of mountaintop positions which offered their men a commanding view of the surrounding areas, but also left them vulnerable to air strikes. Cruise missile strikes against Ansar al-Islam positions were launched on March 21. The Americans originally planned to launch a ground attack immediately following the air strikes, but most American forces were not in place. Once more American troops arrived, the date of the attack was set for March 28. The plan called for four lines of advance for the Kurdish forces, with each force accompanied by U.S. Special Forces.

On the eve of the battle, the Islamic Group of Kurdistan, which had been allied with Ansar al-Islam, surrendered after having suffered 100 men killed in the March 21 strikes.[3]

The attack from the south on the morning of the 28th was met with heavy fire from the Ansar defenders. Airstrikes were called in and the defenders routed. The Kurds pursued them and captured the town of Gulp hours ahead of schedule. The majority of the Ansar fighters retreated to the town of Sargat.[11] Advancing on Sargat, the Kurds and Americans were pinned down for three hours by mortar and machine gun fire. Unable to call in airstrikes or contact friendly forces due to the deep valley blocking radio signals, the Special Forces soldiers used a Barrett M82 .50 caliber sniper rifle to take out Ansar al-Islam machine gun crews while the Kurds brought up artillery. The combination of artillery support and accurate long-range sniper fire drove the Ansar al-Islam forces from the town. Pursuing Ansar fighters into the hills, American and Kurdish forces were again pinned down by machine gun fire and had to call in more air strikes before darkness put an end to the day's fighting. [12]

The next day, the Americans and Kurds pursued the Ansar al-Islam forces further into the mountains, towards the Iranian border. Many fighters attempted to flee across the border, only to be arrested by the Iranians. Many were sent back across the border and were later captured by Kurdish forces. However, Kurdish sources allege that many Ansar al-Islam fighters were in fact harbored by Iran.[13]

Aftermath

Operation Viking Hammer had eliminated Ansar al-Islam's presence in northern Iraq, and allowed Kurdish units to join the fight against Iraqi troops in northern Iraq.

American intelligence personnel inspected the suspected chemical weapons site in Sargat and discovered traces of Ricin in the ruins, as well as potassium chloride. They also discovered chemical weapons suits, atropine nerve gas antidotes, and manuals on manufacturing chemical weapons, lending credence to the idea that the site was related to the manufacture of chemical weapons and poisons.[14]

Three U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers were awarded the Silver Star for their actions around Sargat.[15]

Ansar al-Islam would later re-emerge as a group involved in the Iraqi insurgency.

External links

Notes


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Operation Tiger Hammer — Part of Post invasion Iraq, 2003–present Date June 7, 2007 Location the Adhamiyah District Baghdad, Iraq …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Iron Hammer (Iraq 2003) — Operation Iron Hammer Part of The War on Terrorism, Operation Iraqi Freedom Members 1st Armored Division wait to begin a co …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Phantom Strike — Part of the Iraq War U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. LaMarquis Knowles, Warrant Officer Eric Barreras, Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno, commander of M …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Imposing Law — Part of the Iraq War (Operation Phantom Thunder) U.S. soldiers ta …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Phantom Thunder — Part of the Iraq War A cloud of smoke and dust envelopes a U.S. soldier seconds after he fired an AT 4 rocket launcher at an insurg …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Marne Torch — Part of the Iraq War (Operation Phantom Thunder) …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Alljah — Part of the Iraq War (Operation Phantom Thunder) An Iraqi policeman talks with two Iraqi civilians as they wait in line to receive new i …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Arbead II — Part of Iraq War Date January 18, 2007 Location Fallujah, Iraq Result …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Forsythe Park — Date 02 May 2007 27 April 2007 Location Albu Bali, Iraq Result Immediate relief of terrorist and criminal activities in the area …   Wikipedia

  • Operation Ardennes — Part of Iraq War Date June 17, 2007 Location Muwayllihah, Iraq Result …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”