Battle of Baghdad (2006–2008)

The Battle of Baghdad begun in February 2006 and continued until May 2008, for control of the capital city of Iraq. A combined force of Iraqi Security Forces and the allies including the U.S. Army fought against insurgents to retain control of the city during the sectarian civil war that engulfed the country in 2006.[6][7][8]

Battle of Baghdad
Part of the Iraqi Civil War
Armed Iraqi insurgents in November 2006
Date 22 February 2006 – 11 May 2008[1] (2 years, 2 months, 2 weeks and 5 days) Location Iraq Result Decisive Iraqi and allied victory Shia insurgents control 75% of Baghdad by 2006[2] Ethnic cleansing of neighborhoods by sectarian militants
Belligerents
Public stability: Iraqi security forces United States United Kingdom[3] Other coalition forces	Sunni factions al-Qaeda in Iraq (until October 2006) Islamic State of Iraq (from October 2006) Sunni tribes Other militias	Shia factions Mahdi Army Special Groups Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Kata'ib Hezbollah Promised Day Brigades Badr Brigades Rogue elements among the Iraqi security forces Soldiers of Heaven Shia tribes Other militias
Commanders and leaders
Jalal Talabani Ibrahim al-Jaafari Nouri al-Maliki Tommy Franks Abdul Sattar Abu Risha † Ahmad Abu Risha	Abu Ayyub al-Masri Abu Omar al-Baghdadi	Muqtada al-Sadr Abu Deraa Qais al-Khazali (POW) Akram al-Kabi Arkan Hasnawi † Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim † Abdul Aziz al-Hakim Hadi al-Amiri Abu Mustafa al-Sheibani Dia Abdul Zahra Kadim † Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni †
Strength
90,000+[4]	Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
11,000+ recorded civilian deaths (as of late 2007)[5]

The battle coincided with an unsuccessful coalition operation called Together Forward which was to significantly reduce the violence in Baghdad which had seen a sharp uprise in sectarian violence since the mid-February 2006 bombing of the Askariya Mosque,[9] a major Shia Muslim shrine. Insurgents managed take control of more than 80 percent of Baghdad[10] before an offensive conducted by Iraqi forces and allies to secure Baghdad. Insurgents also made huge gains in the western Al Anbar and southern Babil province, temporarily forcing Coalition and Iraqi security forces from many towns and cities. Most direct insurgent control of Baghdad ended by late-2007, and by mid-2008 Iraqi forces and allies mostly secured Baghdad and reached an agreement with Mahdi army to allow government forces to enter and patrol the Sadr City district of the city, thus fully securing Baghdad and restoring calm in the central parts of Iraq.[11]