Iraqi forces launch assault to retake key city of Fallujah
36 replies, posted
[quote]BAGHDAD—Iraqi forces backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition pounded Fallujah from the ground and air Monday, marking the start of a bid to retake one of Islamic State’s last major urban strongholds in the country.
Iraq’s army and counterterrorism forces, along with police, tribal fighters and Shiite Muslim militias, joined in the assault on the strategic city in Anbar province, about 40 miles west of the capital here.
The assault coincides with a period of extreme political weakness for Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, who traveled to a military command center east of Fallujah to supervise the offensive.
By late Monday the Popular Mobilization Forces had taken over two districts on Fallujah’s outskirts, said Col. Mahmood al-Jumaili, a commander for the group, which includes militias.
An Islamic State communications center was destroyed and 34 of the group’s fighters were killed, including a senior leader, the Iraqi military’s Joint Operations Command added. The death toll couldn’t be independently verified, and the government gave no indication of casualties on its side.
The U.S. coalition said it conducted two strikes near Fallujah, targeting Islamic State’s weapons facilities and destroying bunkers and tunnel entrances. Iraq’s military said its jets destroyed bomb-making factories and rocket-launch sites in the center of the city.[/quote]
[url]http://www.wsj.com/articles/iraqi-and-coalition-forces-pound-fallujah-1464001174[/url]
[url]http://www.cbsnews.com/news/iraq-isis-battle-fallujah-us-city-where-american-troops-killed-2004/[/url]
[url]http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-05-23/iraq-begins-operation-to-retake-isis-controlled-fallujah[/url]
[url]http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/22/middleeast/iraq-falluja/index.html[/url]
Hope they can retake the town with as little civilian casualties as possible.
There are militias fighting so you can count on them attempting to maximize civilian casualties since Fallujah is a lot of sunnis last I checked.
Yeah. :frown:
They're dropping leaflets and told families to put white flags over their houses if they can't get out in time
Fallujah is a hotbed for terrorist activity, so don't expect civilian causalities to be low. I wholeheartedly expect nothing short of the town being razed to be quiet frank.
Not to mention that even if the town is liberated, it's not gonna stop individual terrorist cells operating against the Shia groups in the area.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;50378047]Fallujah is a hotbed for terrorist activity, so don't expect civilian causalities to be low. I wholeheartedly expect nothing short of the town being razed to be quiet frank.
Not to mention that even if the town is liberated, it's not gonna stop individual terrorist cells operating against the Shia groups in the area.[/QUOTE]
Unfortunately families have already been killed trying to leave before the assault
I wish them luck, but those Shiite militia groups are going to cause problems in the long run. Kata'ib Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group that is participating in this
It's most likely going to be worse than the two times the US Military managed to sieze the city
It's the unfortunate reality that the Iraqi military as it stands is one of the least motivated forces in existence - these militias and paramilitary forces assisting the Iraqi security forces are the mainstay of Iraq's military ops against IS. What a terribly sharp double edged sword, lol.
I really wish/hope there are sattelites or drones or something recording all these battles from overhead. It would really be a lost opportunity for the sake of historical military records, not to mention potential future entertainment value.
Imagine kids in school watching this battle from overhead 20 years from now.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;50378209]I really wish/hope there are sattelites or drones or something recording all these battles from overhead. It would really be a lost opportunity for the sake of historical military records, not to mention potential future entertainment value.
Imagine kids in school watching this battle from overhead 20 years from now.[/QUOTE]
what the fuck?
If the Iraqi's get their shit together it will be like the Second battle all over again.
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;50378209]I really wish/hope there are sattelites or drones or something recording all these battles from overhead. It would really be a lost opportunity for the sake of historical military records, not to mention potential future entertainment value.
Imagine kids in school watching this battle from overhead 20 years from now.[/QUOTE]
Maybe not kids in school, but militsry history students or officers in training could watch battles to study the strategy employed. But for shear entertainment? That seems a bit grim
[QUOTE=StrykerE;50378079]I wish them luck, but those Shiite militia groups are going to cause problems in the long run. Kata'ib Hezbollah is an Iran-backed terrorist group that is participating in this[/QUOTE]
Which further adds to this clusterfuck since Iran is helping Syria fight against Isis, while supporting groups that fight against Iraq
This is why proxy wars are so fucking dumb, it just end up hurting the people there with no permanent solution
I wasn't aware ISIS took Fallujah. This is like the third offensive launched against the city, god damn
[QUOTE=Native Hunter;50378276]Maybe not kids in school, but militsry history students or officers in training could watch battles to study the strategy employed. But for shear entertainment? That seems a bit grim[/QUOTE]
The history channel is full with old footage of WW2 battles - the footage that still remains. Why would it be any different in the future now that we have the technology to better record everything?
I am not saying it should be recorded and sold tommorow as "MONDAY NIGHT SEIGE", but I am saying that there is a lot we could learn from these events if we also put in the effort to carefully record them for future posterity. And by record I again mean in a very comprehensive way, by sattelites or whatever.
[QUOTE=FlashMarsh;50378225]what the fuck?[/QUOTE]
Calling it "potential future entertainment value" is pretty awful, but I doubt anyone in this thread hasn't seen a WWII documentary.
Some pictures:
[t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjJdkWKXEAE2VlJ.jpg:large[/t][t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjJdkV-XAAAdLf6.jpg:large[/t]
ISF, police forces and militias preparing to enter Fallujah.
[video=youtube;61jZ5HYzERw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61jZ5HYzERw[/video]
ISIS using MANPADS and a M2 HMG in heavy fighting against ISF/Militias
[t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ci_yarnWsAEe-vE.jpg:large[/t][t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjJtBXfWUAA5zHp.jpg:large[/t]
IRAM lineup showing Kata'ib Hezbollah flags and Seyed Ali Yaseri, head of Iranian proxy militia Saraya Khorasani, in Saqlawia, north of Fallujah.
[t]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjJz18vWUAAN0pk.jpg:large[/t]
ISIS fighter shows the destroyed Tuffahah bridge south of Fallujah.
Shit got wild in Fallujah
[media]https://twitter.com/db4290d41d17459/status/734438752924409857[/media]
That's allegedly an ISIS commander forced to dress up as Spongebob.
[I][B]Allegedly.[/B][/I]
[QUOTE=Limed00d;50378569]Shit got wild in Fallujah
[media]https://twitter.com/db4290d41d17459/status/734438752924409857[/media]
That's allegedly an ISIS commander forced to dress up as Spongebob.
[I][B]Allegedly.[/B][/I][/QUOTE]
It's fake. The picture was taken on a beach in Egypt years ago. Fallujah's riverbank doesn't even look like that!
[QUOTE=croguy;50378600]It's fake. The picture was taken on a beach in Egypt years ago. Fallujah's riverbank doesn't even look like that![/QUOTE]
if that's the case, aw shucks. got a chuckle out of me at least.
[QUOTE=croguy;50378600]It's fake. The picture was taken on a beach in Egypt years ago. Fallujah's riverbank doesn't even look like that![/QUOTE]
Great for propaganda tbh.
JUST A REMINDER MANY OF THE MILITIA GROUPS ARE [b]SUNNI[/b] AND [b]SHIA[/b]
They tend to be used a cannon fodder for the main army but they're effective.
[IMG]https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CjKKP8oWUAAvKBc.jpg:large[/IMG]
The big man himself, Qasem Soleimani, in Fallujah meeting with Popular Mobilization Unit leaders. For those who don't know, he is the commander of Iran's Quds Force which is a Special Forces unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Iran's presence in this is not to be underestimated
[QUOTE=FlashMarsh;50378225]what the fuck?[/QUOTE]
Hate to say it but depending on the results, this battle may be a key part in the fight against the Islamic State as a whole, and thus be historically important.
If the Iraqi militias take it with minimal bloodshed, it'll act as a lesson for how to fight house-to-house.
If it turns into a bloodbath, it will teach everyone the dangers of the militia in urban warfare.
If the Islamic State holds out, it will show the world that they need to be taken seriously.
The US will not be deploying combat advisors to Fallujah
[url]http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/23/no-us-combat-advisers-fallujah-invasion/84794604/[/url]
[QUOTE=StrykerE;50378769]The US will not be deploying combat advisors to Fallujah
[url]http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/23/no-us-combat-advisers-fallujah-invasion/84794604/[/url][/QUOTE]it's a given they have CIA embedded, right?
[QUOTE=StrykerE;50378769]The US will not be deploying combat advisors to Fallujah
[URL]http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2016/05/23/no-us-combat-advisers-fallujah-invasion/84794604/[/URL][/QUOTE]
Instead, they'll opt to deploy combat participants - here comes delta! :v:
[QUOTE=benzi2k7;50378872]it's a given they have CIA embedded, right?[/QUOTE]
It's possible, but there's not much of a reason to send in CIA advisors. Fallujah is relatively close to Baghdad which is where they are headquartered, so they can just advise the ISF command structure from there. The Iran-backed militias also aren't very friendly with western forces as they have been known to threaten western volunteers working with the Kurds. After all, they were the ones attacking US forces in Iraq less than a decade ago. The presence of Iran really complicates things compared to what's going on up north
[QUOTE=Zenreon117;50378209]I really wish/hope there are sattelites or drones or something recording all these battles from overhead. It would really be a lost opportunity for the sake of historical military records, not to mention potential future entertainment value.
Imagine kids in school watching this battle from overhead 20 years from now.[/QUOTE]
I assume you got your wording a bit wrong there, meaning potential future educational value, in which case I'd agree with you.
I guess in a way it's still entertainment, although saying entertainment is bound to be misunderstood.
In any case, I hope this battle can manage to kick out ISIS, dealing them a hefty blow. It does seem to bring some unity to these groups in that they're combating a common threat to them. I hope for the best, but to be honest, I fear the worst.
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