Area of Operations Denver Battle of Haditha and Operation Quick Strike Between 1–4 August, the
Battle of Haditha took place: On 1 August, A 6-man U.S. Marine sniper team were ambushed in
Haditha by
Ansar al-Sunna insurgents 5 of the team were killed and 1 was missing; In response a U.S. Marine task force from
3rd Battalion, 25th Marines cordoned off and searched Haditha, where they engaged in combat with Ansar al-Sunna and AQI terrorists. Regimental Combat Team 2, with the assistance of 2nd Squadron
14th Cavalry Regiment had planned to carryout Operation Lightning Strike II in August-targeting the town of
Anah and the town of Qādisiyyah to disrupt insurgent activities and show the Iraqi government the deployment of a competent security force. However the operation did not take place due to the clashes in Haditha and were reallocated to
Operation Quick Strike (3–11 August). The force cordoned off and searched
Haqlaniyah and
Barwanah,
2nd LAR and 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines prepared to move into Haqlaniyah, whilst K and L Companies of
3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines and 2nd platoon A Company,
1st Tank Battalion moved into an assembly area west of the Euphrates after an Iraqi special operations company secured it; Iraqi troops from the 1st Division were part of the operation. L Company of 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines and 2nd platoon A Company, 1st Tank Battalion prepared to clear Barwanah. Marines from
1st Force Reconnaissance Company provided raid and sniper support. On 4 August, Marine battalions attacked through the villages from the north, 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines only encountered sporadic resistance and set a base to support continuing operations. Resistance in both Haditha, Haqlaniyah and Barawanah increased, the added combination of supporting airstrikes suppressed resistance. The body of the missing Marine was found in Haqlaniyah; the Operation resulted in 15 insurgents killed and a further 63 detained, Coalition forces lost 14 killed and 6 wounded, one Iraqi special forces operative was also killed.
Operation Cyclone On 11 September, 2nd LAR and Iraqi forces established a cordon around
Ar-Rutbah to begin Operation Cyclone.
Marine Force Recon and Iraqi special forces swept through the town from the north whilst K company,
3rd Battalion, 6th Marines, supported by
AAV's and a platoon from 2nd LAR, swept in from the south, targeting pre-selected houses. The operation was the last conducting by 2nd LAR in Iraq before rotating back to the United States in September.
Operation Iron Fist Between 1–7 October, 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines carried out its first major operation since relieving 3rd Battalion, 2nd Marines in
Al-Qaim-Operation Iron Fist, in the village of Sadah and the eastern half of
Karabillah; its aim was to eliminate insurgents, clear routes and establish battle positions. The Marines were supported by a
platoon each of tanks, combat engineers and amphibious assault vehicles; the operation also provided a deception to distract insurgents while units prepared for Operation River Gate. On 1 October, the task force cleared Sadah from east to west with three rifle companies, fighting sporadically with insurgents who fought from prepared positions with small arms, rocket launchers, mortars and explosive devices. The task force killed an estimated 12 insurgents and encamped on a wadi between Sadah and Karabillah, a troop of the 4th squadron 14th Cavalry Regiment screened the left bank of the Euphrates river whilst mobile assault platoons of the Marine battalion's weapons company blocked the roads between the two towns. Coalition forces killed 12 insurgents, detained over 172 more, and found 32 weapons caches and 95 IED devices and mines. Consequently, they established a permanent base to provide continued security. A combined US Marine, Army and Iraqi Army Task Force swept west to east through
Husaybah and continued east through Karabillah, clearing both towns of local insurgents and foreign jihadist and established a permanent presence in the town. Nearly two weeks into the Operation, US Marines cleared the town of Ubaydi, throughout the fight, the marines had to call in continuous air support, in total 67 airstrikes were called in by controllers and over 100 precision-guided bombs munitions were employed, aviation played a crucial role in combat resupply of tank ammunition and water as well as multiple casualty evacuations. The Marine assault forces suffered 10 killed and 59 wounded, whilst the insurgents lost 139 killed and 388-400 captured. In the aftermath of the operation, the Iraqi 1st Brigade was able to establish its headquarters in Al-Qaim. On 19 November
Haditha killings took place.
Operation Iron Hammer Between 30 November – 4 December,
2nd Battalion, 1st Marines carried out Operation Iron Hammer-a clearing action across the Euphrates from Hit, while 2nd Battalion, 114th Field Artillery Regiment and the Iraqi 1st battalion, 2nd Brigade, 7th Division secured Hit itself. The Marine battalion, a company of Iraqi troops and 30 Desert protector scouts crossed to clear Hai al-Becker district and to establish a base for the Iraqi battalion to occupy, thereby securing the eastern side of the city. With this improved security, the Hit bridge was reopened to foot traffic, the operation also detained 19 suspected insurgents and removed 9 IEDs.
Operation Trifecta Between 10 and 20 November 144 U.S. Marines of E, F and Weapons Companies of
2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines, inserted by helicopter into 3 landing zones, with direct support two squads of Combat Engineers from
2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, carried out Operation Trifecta in
Zaidon, whilst D Company,
2nd Tank Battalion, elements of 1st Reconnaissance Battalion (who carried out Operation Southern Hunter), elements of
2nd Assault Amphibian Battalion and Team Traveller (part of Regimental Combat Team 8's headquarters company and U.S. Army B Troop, 1st Squadron,
75th Cavalry Regiment) acted as blocking forces for the raids on 14 November. The rapid setup of the cordon prevented insurgents escaping the area. US forces carried out house-to-house searches (particularly in the Sadan market) and wide spread cache sweeps; the operation also integrated communications jamming by
EA-6B Prowler . According to
Maj Timothy M. Bairstow The Marines detained more than 30 suspected insurgents and located more than 1,000 artillery rounds, mortar and rockets; 20,000 rounds of ammunition for small arms and over a dozen weapon systems, including AK-47's and Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers. After 4 Marine CH-47E helicopters instrted A Troop, 1st Squadron, 167th Cavalry Regiment into blocking positions southeast of the city, C Company, 1st Battalion, 172nd Armor Regiment established a cordon to isolate the southeast corner of the city. From the North, two Army infantry companies, accompanied by 1st and 3rd battalion, 1st brigade, Iraqi 7th Division cleared and secured their target districts on the southern side of the canal, while 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines cleared the north side of the canal, accompanied by 2nd battalion, 1st brigade, Iraqi 7th Division and supported by a tank platoon from D Company, 2nd Battalion,
69th Armor Regiment. US Marines and soldiers and Iraqi troops searched all houses and vehicles in a major demonstration of combined US-Iraqi forces. After being attacked by small arms, explosives dives and rocket fire 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines called in fixed and rotary wing air support, which remained overhead until all objectives were cleared and the Marines returned to base. The 2nd Brigade,
28th Infantry Division carried out Operation Tigers (25–26 November)-a clearing operation in the Mulaab district of eastern Ramadi, with both fixed and rotary-wing aircraft in support.
3rd Battalion, 7th Marines and 2nd battalion, 1st Brigade, 7th Iraqi Division carried out Operation Shank (2–3 December)- a cordon and search mission in the same area and the adjacent al-Dubaht district to find weapons cashes and to disrupt insurgent activities. ==Aftermath==