Battle of Donkey Island

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Date	June 30, 2007
Location	Ramadi, Iraq
Result	Decisive U.S Victory - Insurgent assault force detected and defeated

Belligerents

United States

Al-Qaeda in Iraq

Strength

30 - 50 soldiers

40 - 70 fighters

Casualties and losses

2 KIA
11WIA

32 KIA

v • d • e Iraq War

Invasion – Post-invasion (Insurgency – Civil war) Battles & operations – Bombings and terrorist attacks

The Battle of Donkey Island was a skirmish that occurred on 30 June 2007 between elements of the U.S. Task Force 1-77 Armor Regiment, the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and a numerically superior force of Al-Qaeda in Iraq insurgents outside the city of Ramadi in the Al-Anbar province in Iraq.^[1]^[2]

Official reports indicate that the US suffered 2 dead and 11 wounded soldiers in the conflict while an estimated 32 insurgents were killed (out of an estimated force of 40 - 70 fighters). In military terms, the battle was a complete victory for the U.S. forces, detecting and annihilating an insurgent force before it could launch a planned assault on Ramadi. Politically, the action revealed the continuing ability of Al-Qaeda in Iraq to plan and assemble forces in their attempt to destabilize the Anbar region.

[edit] Timeline of Events

On the night of June 30, 2007, a routine patrol on the outskirts of Ramadi revealed the presence of a company-sized force of insurgents. Partially hidden behind two trucks, the insurgent force began firing on the reconnaissance group, forcing them to retreat to nearby cover.

After a firefight in the moon-lit night, a near-by platoon arrived to reinforce the US side. Although outnumbered, the Americans brought superior firepower to bear and eventually began to shift the tide of battle.