Operation Gaugamela

Iraqi counter-terrorist operation
Operation Gaugamela
DateJuly 2006
Location
just west of Kirkuk
Result detained 154 terror suspects and seized hundreds of weapons
Belligerents
United States United States Army
New Iraqi Army

Mujahideen Shura Council

  • Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Other Iraqi insurgents
Commanders and leaders
Abboud Qanbar
United States David Petraeus
unknown
Strength
3000 Unknown
Casualties and losses
None None

Without a single shot being fired, more than 3,000 members of the Iraqi security forces (ISF) and Bastogne Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, detained 154 terror suspects and seized more than 350 semi-automatic and automatic rifles, a variety of pistols and mortar rounds, as well as a large number of materials used to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) during Operation Gaugamela (gaw'guh-MEE-luh), a search for suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in the cities and areas surrounding Hawija and Riyadh, just west of Kirkuk, Iraq.

Operation details

Following a request from local Sunni Arab leaders to rid the area outside of Kirkuk of terrorists, and as reports indicated a rise in the number of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQIZ) moving into the area, the 10-day operation, covering 25 cities and villages spanning more than 900 square miles (2,300 km2), began with a series of smaller Iraqi Army operations targeting 20 objectives with a history of terrorist activity in the Rashad area, southwest of Kirkuk. Using their own intelligence information, soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division planned and conducted the missions, detaining nine terror suspects and seizing a cache of weapons.

"This was the first time the Iraqi's in our area have self-sustained during an operation," said Captain Krista Jekielek, the Bastogne Brigade's logistics representative to the Iraqi security forces. "It was a significant validation, showing they are capable of moving the necessary personnel and supplies required to perform their mission."

Once the Iraqis had completed their searches and attention was drawn to the areas southwest of Kirkuk, operations quickly shifted to the Hawija and Riyadh areas.

"It was my intent to disrupt insurgent operations and to deny them sanctuary in these communities," explained Colonel David R. Gray, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team. "To do this, we made it look as though we were focused on the south, and then used the element of surprise to help us clear and control the areas to the north."

A combined U.S. and Iraqi force simultaneously set a security perimeter on the city of Hawija, preventing escape, while more U.S. and Iraqi forces air assaulted from nine UH-60 Blackhawk and eight CH-47 Chinook helicopters into the city and maneuvered quickly to the market at the city center. Once there, they immediately started a door-to-door search of every building in the city. Meanwhile, approximately 10 miles (16 km) away, another combined force set a security perimeter on the city of Riyadh and began searching every building in that city.

"The folks in Hawija were taken completely by surprise," said Major Scott Jones, an operations officer for the Bastogne Brigade. "You could see them scattering in all directions. They were running to get inside buildings, and jumping in cars to try and get out of the city."

As the combined teams of Iraqi soldiers and police searched alongside Bastogne Soldiers, AH-64 helicopters and coalition airpower provided cover from above. In all, more than 700 homes and buildings were searched. "The Iraqi Security Forces were extremely proficient and professional," said Captain Lyn Graves, an Army spokesman who patrolled Hawija with the ISF. "We moved quickly through several structures, and discovered an IED factory on the second floor of one building."

In addition to taking terrorists and weapons off the street, the discipline of the Soldiers involved in the mission truly stands out, according to Maj. Greg Bishop, a 1st BCT spokesman.

"The Iraqi and coalition Soldiers went into the two most contentious cities in the Kirkuk province, searched hundreds of homes and buildings and detained more than 150 suspects with no violence what so ever," Bishop said. "That's an incredible success and true measure of the professionalism of everyone involved in this operation."

Participating units

American units

  • 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division

Iraqi units

  • Iraqi security forces (ISF)
  • 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division
  • 18th Strategic Infrastructure Battalion (SIB)

See also

  • flagIraq portal

References

  • Operation Gaugamela
  • v
  • t
  • e
Participants
Operational
Targets
Individuals
Factions
Conflicts
Operation
Enduring Freedom
Other
Related
  • Category
  • Commons
  • v
  • t
  • e
Sovereign states
States with
limited recognition
  • Abkhazia
  • Northern Cyprus
  • Palestine
  • South Ossetia
  • Taiwan
Dependencies and
other territories
  • Category
  • Asia portal
  • v
  • t
  • e
List of bombings during the Iraq War
indicates attacks resulting in over 100 deaths
§ indicates the deadliest attack in the Iraq War
This list only includes major attacks.
2003
1st Baghdad
2nd Baghdad
Najaf
3rd Baghdad
1st Nasiriyah
1st Karbala
2004
1st Erbil
Ashoura
1st Basra
1st Mosul
4th Baghdad
5th Baghdad
Karbala & Najaf
1st Baqubah
Kufa
Marez
2005
Suwaira bombing
1st Al Hillah
2nd Erbil
Musayyib
6th Baghdad
7th Baghdad
1st Balad
Khanaqin
2006
Karbala-Ramadi
1st Samarra
8th Baghdad
9th Baghdad
10th Baghdad
2007
11th Baghdad
12th Baghdad
13th Baghdad
14th Baghdad
15th Baghdad
2nd Al Hillah
1st Tal Afar
16th Baghdad
17th Baghdad
2nd & 3rd Karbala
2nd Mosul
18th Baghdad
Makhmour
Abu Sayda
2nd Samarra
19th Baghdad
Amirli
1st Kirkuk
20th Baghdad
21st Baghdad
§ Qahtaniya
Amarah
2008
22nd Baghdad
2nd Balad
23rd Baghdad
4th Karbala
24th Baghdad
Karmah
2nd Baqubah
Dujail
Balad Ruz
2009
25th Baghdad
26th Baghdad
Baghdad-Muqdadiyah
Taza
27th Baghdad
2nd Kirkuk
2nd Tal Afar
28th Baghdad
29th Baghdad
30th Baghdad
2010
31st Baghdad
32nd Baghdad
3rd Baqubah
33rd Baghdad
34th Baghdad
35th Baghdad
1st Pan-Iraq
36th Baghdad
37th Baghdad
2nd Pan-Iraq
38th Baghdad
39th Baghdad
40th Baghdad
2011
41st Baghdad
3rd Pan-Iraq
Karbala-Baghdad
42nd Baghdad
Tikrit
3rd Al Hillah
3rd Samarra
Al Diwaniyah
Taji
4th Pan-Iraq
43rd Baghdad
4th Karbala
44th Baghdad
2nd Basra
45th Baghdad
  • v
  • t
  • e
Iraq War (2003–2011)
Beginning of the Iraqi conflict
Background
Pre-1990
1990–2003
Rationale
Issues
Dossiers
and memos
Overview
Key events
Invasion
(2003)
Occupation
(2003–2011)
Replacement
governments
Countries
Insurgent
groups
Sunni
groups
Shia
groups
Ba'ath
loyalists
Battles and operations
Operations
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009–2011
  • New Dawn
Battles
2003
Invasion
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009–2011
Related events
War crimes
Occupation forces
Killings and
massacres
Chemical
weapons
Torture
and abuse
§ Other killings
and bombings
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Other war crimes
Prosecution
§ All attacks listed in this group were either committed by insurgents, or have unknown perpetrators
Impact
General
Political
controversies
Investigations
Reactions
Pre-war
Protests
Aftermath in Iraq
  • The rise of ISIL
  • Insurgency (2011–13)
  • War in Iraq (2013–17)
  • War against ISIL (2014–present)
  • U.S.-led intervention in Iraq (2014–2021)
  • Insurgency (2017–present)
Miscellaneous
Terminology
Critical
Memorials
Lists
Timeline
Outline / Category / Wikinews / Multimedia