Anbar offensive (2015)

Anbar offensive (2015)
Part of the Iraqi insurgency (2011–present) and the American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present)
Location of the Al Anbar Governorate in Iraq
Date 8 April 2015 – present (3 weeks and 1 day) Location Anbar Governorate, Iraq Result Ongoing ISIL captures three villages: Sjariyah, Albu-Ghanim, and Soufiya ISIL seized control of up to 80% of the city of Ramadi[1]
Belligerents
Iraq  Iraqi Kurdistan[2] United States[3][4] Air support only:  United Kingdom[5]  Canada[6]	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
Commanders and leaders
Haider al-Abadi Ahmed al-Dulaimi Barack Obama David Cameron Stephen Harper	Abu Suleiman al-Naser (Replacement Military Chief)[7] Abu Waheeb (ISIL Commander in Anbar) Abu Khattab † (ISIL Wilayat al-Jazira governor)[8] Abu Qatada † (senior ISIL commander)[9] Abu Azam † (senior ISIL commander)[8]
Units involved
Iraqi Army Iraqi Tri Force 7th Division Special Forces Iraqi Police Shia militias Tribal fighters Peshmerga[2] US Armed Forces  Royal Air Force  Royal Canadian Air Force	Military of ISIL Wilayat al-Anbar
Strength
Unknown number of Iraqi soldiers 10,000+ Sunni tribal fighters[10]	Several thousand
Casualties and losses
Unknown	491+ killed[11]
At least 635 people executed by ISIL[10][12][13]

The Anbar offensive of 2015 is an ongoing offensive launched by the Iraqi Army and anti-ISIL Sunni tribal fighters to recapture the areas taken by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in Iraq. The offensive began on 8 April 2015, and has so far led to the retaking part of the city Al-Karmah,^[14] as well as the securing of the old road of Al-Karmah.^[15]

As a result of the Iraqi offensive, ISIL launched a counterattack in the region, attacking Ramadi and capturing 3 villages to the east of it on 15 April,^[16] attacking Baiji, Iraq's largest refinery, and taking control over of the Tharthar Dam on 24 April.^[17]

The ISIL attack on Ramadi prompted 114,000 people to fly the region, according to UN officials, increasing the total number of refugees from Anbar since 2014 to over 400,000 people.^[18]

Background

Anbar province in western Iraq is the countries largest and most sparsely populated. Most of the population lives in the major cities, like Ramadi and Fallujah, and almost everyone else lives within a short distance of the Euphrates River that snakes from Baghdad to the Syrian Border.

The largely Sunni population in Anbar was a stronghold for the Iraqi resistance during the US occupation of Iraq (2003-2011). After the Fallujah killings of April 2003 and the disbandment of the Iraqi army on 25 May 2003 many Sunni locals turned against the American occupiers. The disbandment put hundreds of thousands of Anbaris out of work as many were members of the Army or the party, and viewed its disbanding as an act of contempt towards the Iraqi people.^[19]

By 2004 the province was in full-scale revolt. Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) became the province's main Sunni insurgent group and turned the provincial capital of Ramadi into its stronghold. Several battles, like Battle of Ramadi (2004), First Battle of Fallujah (April 2004), Second Battle of Fallujah (November -December 2004), Second Battle of Ramadi (2006), ravaged the region as the Iraqi insurgents struggled against the American occupiers for control of Anbar. During the first four years of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Anbar Province was the deadliest province for American service members, claiming approximately one-third of American fatalities.^[20] Part of its significance came from the fact that the Western Euphrates River Valley served as an important infiltration route for foreign fighters headed to Iraq’s heartland from Syria.^[20]

In August 2006, several tribes located near Ramadi and led by Sheikh Abdul Sattar Abu Risha revolted against AQI. The tribes formed the Anbar Awakening and helped turn the tide against the insurgents. American and Iraqi tribal forces regained control of Ramadi in early 2007, as well as other cities such as Hīt, Haditha, and Rutbah. In June 2007 the U.S. turned its attention to eastern Anbar Province and secured the cities of Fallujah and Al-Karmah.

After the withdrawl of U.S. troops from Iraq in 2011, the region was in 2014 run over by ISIL forces making Anbar their stronghold in Iraq.^[21] By late June 2014, at least 70% of the Anbar Province was under ISIS control,^[22] including the cities of Fallujah,^[23][24] Al Qaim,^[25] Abu Ghraib,^[26] and half of Ramadi.^[27]

Map showing situation in Anbar as of June 2014.

As a response to the ISIL takeover, the Iraqi government, in a coalition with American and Iranian forces, launched a counteroffensive, of which the Anbar offensive forms part. At the outset of the offensive the Iraqi governments only foothold was in Ramadi, the current provisional capital of the province, while ISIL militants controled the outskirts of the city as well as the majority of the region.

The offensive

On 8 April 2015, after their advances in the Second Battle of Tikrit, Iraqi government forces began an offensive to remove ISIL from the Anbar Province.^[28] 10,000 Sunni tribal fighters were reported to join the Iraqi government forces^[10] which also received air support from the British RAF.^[29] On 15 April, Massoud Barzani, the President of Iraqi Kurdistan, stated that two regiments of the Peshmerga would also be participating in the Anbar offensive.^[2]

The Iraqi government offensive made little headway the first weeks^[30] before they started making gains around Al-Karmah, close to Falluja, at the end of April.^[31]

During the offensive several RAF air missions provided air support for Iraqi troops using both RAF Tornado GR4s and remotely piloted RAF Reapers.^[32] In Anbar they have operated close to Ramadi, Baiji, and ahead of Iraqi advances near Al-Karmah. They have removed ISIL roadblocks and ambushes, taken out ISIL snipers, and blowed up ISIL IED teams, heavy vehicles, and fighters.^[33]

ISIL response

In mid-April 2015, as ISIL lost the Iraqi city of Tikrit, in the Second Battle of Tikrit,^[34][35] they refocused their efforts on Anbar. They initiated a counter-offensive which threatened Ramadi, prompting 114,000 people to fly the region, according to UN officials.^[36][37] An Iraqi TV channel also reported that ISIL "started a large-scale operation" to recapture the areas around Ramadi, and tried to capture the highway leading to Ramadi "to cut off supplies".^[38] The Pentagon officers did not pay heed to the "warnings" that the group were "poised to seize" the city.^[39]

In the village of Soufiya, ISIL captured a power plant beside bombing a police station. Local people said that "air strikes were trying to back up Iraqi troops".^[16] The villagers left their houses and fled their villages fearing the group's "onslaught". Government officers said that thirty policeman were missing. Baghdad "was blamed" for the offensive by local Sunni leaders as "government forces withdrew from the area shortly before the attacks" leading to the ISIL capturing the villages without facing resistance.^[39] The tribal leaders blamed their lack of ammunition as the reason for being unable to fight against ISIL.^[39]

Timeline of events

On 9 April, in response to the offensive, ISIL executed 300 people in Anbar Province.^[10]

On 12 April, Iraqi Anbar Governor Anbar Suhaib al-Rawi survived an assassination attempt by ISIL in the city of Ramadi.^[40]

On 15 April, it was reported that ISIL had executed 300 more Sunni tribesmen in Anbar over the past few days.^[12]

See also

• Battle of Ramadi (2014–15)
• Salahuddin campaign (2014–15)

References

External links

• Operation Inherent Resolve airstrike updates

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