Target The target for the operation was to capture a mid-level terrorist leader to whom journalist
Mark Urban gave the pseudonym Abu Atiya. (The target should not be confused with
Abu Atiya, an alleged subordinate of Al-Zarqawi's who was at that time in prison in Jordan.) Abu Atiya, the operation's target, was thought to run AQI's local media campaign, and
HUMINT and
SIGINT intelligence showed he also had a role in setting up
VBIEDs. His location was confirmed by cell phone intercepts and a grid reference graphic in the form of an aerial photo. The target building was an insurgent-held farmhouse on the outskirts of Yusufiyah.
Plan The operation was planned by and commanded by an SAS
officer called Captain
Ewan (pseudonym assigned by Mark Urban), a battle-experienced officer in his twenties. Captain
Ewan would command an assault team that would be transported by
Puma helicopter to a
landing zone codenamed L1, located north-east of the target building and then move through the orchard to the target building, using it as cover. Once there, the assault force of four teams would split into two groups,
Ewan leading one and a less experienced SAS captain leading the other, one group would attack from the east and the other from the south. Also part of the assault team were two Iraqi interpreters attached to the SAS would interpret and assist in
Sensitive Site Exploration, just in case the targets eluded the assault force, SAS snipers in
Lynx helicopters would orbit the target building. In addition, a platoon of
British paratroopers from the
SFSG/Task Force Maroon would cordon/block off the area around the target building; they would be inserted by
Chinook helicopter. Charlie Company of 2nd Battalion,
502nd Infantry Regiment (C Co 2–502) would be in reserve as the
quick reaction force (QRF) while providing a blocking position to deny enemy movement out of the area for the
RAF and
AAC helicopters, two
American C-130's were on station: one was a command aircraft and the other was an
AC-130. It was necessary for there to be a large amount of support for the SAS operation due to the heightened tension between the Iraqi people in the area and coalition troops due to the recent
Mahmudiyah rape and killings incident.
Raid After a short flight to L1, the Pumas landed just after 0200, the SAS operators disembarked and made their way carefully to the target building. Once behind cover within yards of the house two SAS operators were sent forward to scout the south-east corner of the building, they found a door to the target building wide open on that side. Captain
Ewan ordered the assault commence, one team moved quickly into the building, seconds later gunfire rang out and 3 SAS operators were wounded in the corridor of the house, the team withdrew out of the house. The SFSG attempted to suppress the insurgent fire from the house, whilst the casualties took cover behind a sand berm and got medical attention, Insurgents inside the building and on the roof began firing and throwing
grenades on the SAS operators, Captain
Ewan resumed the assault, approaching the building under covering fire and throwing in grenades, as the operators re-entered 2 more were wounded but killed an insurgent in the corridor. An insurgent wearing a suicide vest armed with an assault rifle and grenades ran out of the building and took cover under a car parked outside, SAS snipers in the Lynx helicopter and paratroopers from Task Force Maroon saw him and killed him. Inside the building, the SAS operators began clearing the downstairs room by room, killing another insurgent, in one room they found half a dozen women and children, in the previous crossfire or possibly before the raid, they found one woman dead as well as 3 others and a child wounded. With the rooms cleared the Operators turned their attention to the roof, led by one SAS operator, a
NCO, who had already been wounded, they moved upstairs. On the top of the staircase, the operator was confronted by an insurgent wearing a suicide vest, the insurgent detonated his bomb, blowing the NCO back down the stair, sustaining further injury, but was able to pick himself up. Another insurgent blew himself up on the roof of the building. Amongst the women and children were 5 men, one was
Abu Atiya and he was detained, another man who appeared to be an insurgent was also detained and both were taken out by helicopter, the rest of the civilians were taken by helicopter to the 10th Combat Support Hospital. Meanwhile, the SAS operators began Sensitive Site Exploration, in the time allotted, they gathered a great deal of intelligence and weapons. == Aftermath ==