Battle of Dasman Palace

Battle of Dasman Palace
Part of the Gulf War
DateAugust 2, 1990
LocationKuwait
29°23′12.96″N 47°59′50.57″E / 29.3869333°N 47.9973806°E
Result Iraqi victory
Belligerents
 Iraq  Kuwait
Units involved
Republican Guard
Elements of 1st "Hammurabi" Mechanised Div.
Elements of 8th "As Saiqa" Special Forces Div.

Kuwait Emiri Guard Brigade

Monarch Shahid His Excellency Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah 

The Battle of Dasman Palace, also called the Battle of Dasman, was a battle between the Kuwaiti and Iraqi forces during the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990.

Battle

On 2 August 1990, shortly after 00:00 local time, Iraq invaded Kuwait.[1][2] The attack on Dasman Palace, the residence of the Emir of Kuwait, by Iraqi special forces commenced sometime between 04:00 and 06:00;[2][3] these forces have been variously reported as helicopter airborne troops,[4] or as infiltrators in civilian clothes.[2] The Iraqi forces were reinforced through the battle by the arrival of further troops, notably elements of the Republican Guard Hammurabi Division that had passed to the east of Al Jahra, using Highway 80 to attack into Kuwait City.[5]

Fighting was fierce, especially around midday, but ended around 14:00 with the Iraqis taking control of the palace.[3] They were thwarted in their aim of capturing the Emir and his advisors, who had relocated to General Headquarters before the assault began.[2] Among the casualties was the Emir's younger brother, His Excellency Sheikh Fahad Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who stood his ground heavily outnumbered and was killed in the defense of Dasman Palace.[6]

References

  1. "The Battle of the Bridges" (PDF). Armor. September–October 1995. p. 27.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "The History of Kuwait". Greenwood Press. 2007. pp. 88–9. ISBN 0313340730.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Iraqi Invasion Force Seizes Control of Kuwait". The Washington Post. 3 August 1990.
  4. Arabs at War: Military Effectiveness, 1948-1991. University of Nebraska Press. 2004. p. 236. ISBN 0803287836.
  5. "The Battle of the Bridges" (PDF). Armor. September–October 1995. p. 28.
  6. "When our flag lost its sky … and only hearts remembered". Arab Times. 1 July 2013.

See also