| Saab Al Bour | |
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Saab Al Bour
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Iraq |
| Governorate | Salah ad Din Governorate |
| District | Al Faris |
| Population | |
| • Total | 60,000 |
| (2006) | |
Saab Al Bour or Sabaa Al Bour is a small urban city located approximately 18 miles north west of the city of Baghdad, and is located in the Al-Faris district of the Salah ad Din Governorate.[1] [2] In 2003 the population of Saab Al Bour was approximately 30,000.[3] Current population estimates for Saab Al Bour are as high as 60,000.[4]
Saab Al Bour, in the volatile Sunni Triangle, included a portion of the city known to locals as the Officers Block, which was set up Saddam Hussein for members of the Iraqi Republican Guard and their families as a retirement community. The majority of Saab Al Bours' inhabitants are Shia, while small portions of the city and almost all the surrounding villages are Sunni. Sectarian violence erupted in the city in 2005 and early 2006 and some of the worst fighting between Shia and Sunni groups ensued, leaving hundreds dead and driving most of the residents out of the area. Iraqi security forces with the aid of Coalition Forces took control of Saab Al Bour in the years after and have maintained the peace and security of the area allowing tens of thousands of internally displaced persons to return to the city.
The city lies west of the Tigris river along an extensive canal system that brings needed water for drinking and irrigation for agricultural lands. The city is also located near the Taji military base, which came under United States control following the 2003 Invasion of Iraq.