Fall of Fallujah (2014)

Fall of Fallujah Part of Anbar campaign (2013–14) Date 30 December 2013 - 4 January 2014 Location Fallujah, Iraq Belligerents Sunni Rebels Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Al-Nusra Front Syrian Insurgents Republic of Iraq Units involved Iraqi Armed Forces Iraqi Police

Iraqi insurgency (2011–present) Timeline 11 12 13 14 15 Insurgency 2011–13 1st Baghdad 2nd Baghdad & 1st Nasiriyah 1st Basra 3rd Baghdad 1st Pan-Iraq 2nd Pan-Iraq 4th Baghdad & 1st Hilla ‡ 3rd Pan-Iraq ‡ 4th Pan-Iraq ‡ 5th Pan-Iraq ‡ 6th Pan-Iraq 7th Pan-Iraq 1st Tuz Khormato 1st Kirkuk Akashat 8th Pan-Iraq 1st Tikrit 9th Pan-Iraq 5th Baghdad ‡ Hawija ‡ 10th Pan-Iraq al-Shabah (2013) 6th Baghdad 11th Pan-Iraq 12th Pan-Iraq ‡ 13th Pan-Iraq 7th Baghdad 14th Pan-Iraq ‡ 15th Pan-Iraq Camp Ashraf 8th Baghdad ‡ 16th Pan-Iraq 1st Samarra ‡ 9th Baghdad 2nd Kirkuk 10th Baghdad 1st Ar Rutbah Escalation 2013–present ‡ Anbar Fallujah 17th Pan-Iraq ‡ 18th Pan-Iraq ‡ 19th Pan-Iraq ‡ 20th Pan-Iraq ‡ 1st Northern Iraq Mosul Tikrit Assyrian persecution ‡ Camp Speicher Amirli ‡ Tikrit ‡ 2nd Northern Iraq ‡ Zumar ‡ Sinjar ‡ Yazidi persecution ‡ Mosul Dam Musab bin Umair mosque Suq al Ghazi ‡ Saqlawiyah Hīt ‡ 2nd Baiji ‡ Ramadi ‡ 3rd Baiiji ‡ 2nd Sinjar ‡ Dhuluiya ‡ 2nd Tikrit 2nd Mosul International incidents Iranian-led intervention Jurf Al Sakhar Salahuddin campaign (2014–15) Amirli 2nd Baiji 3rd Baiji 2nd Tikrit American-led intervention Inherent Resolve Shader Okra Chammal Impact ‡ indicates incidents resulting in over 100 deaths

The Fall of Fallujah was the battle, and capture, of the city of Fallujah. It was one of the first Iraqi cities to fall out of the control of the Iraqi Government, and resulted in the Anbar Campaign.

Events

On 30 December 2013, Iraqi forces dismantled a Sunni protest camp, which angered many people. Gunmen proceeded to attack deployed army patrols on the highway.^[1]

On 2 January 2014, Al-Qaeda seized control of parts of the town, as well as nearby Ramadi. After the army withdrew from the area ISIS fighters and its allies entered both cities. Many videos showed ISIS forces clashing with police forces, and ISIS attacks and seizures on the main police station. 100 inmates were freed, weapons and ammunition were seized, and most police forces abandoned their posts.^[2]

On January 3, the town was reportedly under the control of Sunni Rebels, but Iraq said the city remained contested. The rebels set police vehicles ablaze and brandished their weapons. The rebels raised their flag in Fallujah, took over all police stations, and military posts after security forces left the city.^[3]

Most recently, on January 4, the town was taken by Sunni Rebels and Al-Qaeda fighters. The Iraqi army shelled the city with mortars in an attempt to wrestle back the town, but resulted in the deaths of 8 people and wounded 30. 60% of the town was reported to be under rebel control.^[4] Much later, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki vowed to eliminate "all terrorist groups" in a statement on national television. The police chief of the Anbar said that Iraqi forces were in control of the outskirts of Fallujah, but the city itself was held by ISIS and its allies. Sunni tribesmen refused to let Iraqi forces into the city, but held negotiations with them. Iraqi forces proceeded to shell the city from a nearby military base, before eventually withdrawing.^[5]

References