Operation Iron Saber

Operation Iron Saber
	Part of the 2004 Spring Fighting of Iraq War
Date	April – June 2004
Location	Najaf, Diwaniyah, Al Kut, Karbala
Result	Coalition victory
Belligerents
United States 1st Armored Division 37th Armor Regiment; ; Ukraine 6th Mechanized Brigade; Poland; Bulgaria; New Iraqi Army	Mahdi Army
Commanders and leaders
Mark Hertling; Lt. Col. Gary Bishop; Serhiy Ostrovskyi	Muqtada al-Sadr
Strength
2,500+	1,500–2,900 (April)
Casualties and losses
3 killed; 1 killed; 20 killed	7,000 killed; 20 captured; (per 1st Armored Division)

During Post-invasion Iraq, Operation Iron Saber was a coalition strike aimed at defeating the Mahdi Army under the control of Muqtada al-Sadr in Najaf, Diwaniyah, Al Kut and Karbala.^[4] The major American unit involved was the 37th Armor Regiment of 1st Armored Division.^[3] The operation was launched in April 2004, and after intense urban warfare which involved Mahdi militiamen taking refuge in mosques, coalition forces had defeated the Mahdi army by June and had forced a cease-fire with al-Sadr.^[2]

References

^ "Power of Brotherhood". www.polska-zbrojna.pl. 2 June 2021. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Army unit claims victory over sheik". www.washingtontimes.com. 22 June 2004. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Edward Wong (5 May 2004). "U.S. Begins First Major Assault on Iraqi Militia Led by Cleric". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
^ ^a ^b "Operation Iron Saber". www.globalsecurity.org. 7 May 2011. Retrieved 7 November 2024.

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