Battle of Donkey Island

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Battle of Donkey Island
Part of the Post-invasion Iraq
Date June 30, 2007 Location Ramadi, Iraq Result Decisive U.S Victory - Insurgent assault force detected and defeated
Belligerents
United States	Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Strength
30 - 50 soldiers	40 - 70 fighters
Casualties and losses
2 KIA 11WIA	32 KIA

v • d • e Iraq War Invasion – Post-invasion (Insurgency – Civil war) – Battles and operations – Bombings and terrorist attacks

The Battle of Donkey Island was a skirmish that occurred on 30 June and 1 July 2007 between elements of the U.S. Army Task Force 1-77 Armor Regiment, the 2nd Battalion 5th Marines and a numerically superior force of Al-Qaeda in Iraq insurgents on the banks of a canal leading from Ramadi to Lake Habbaniyah in the Al-Anbar province in Iraq.^[1][2]

Official reports indicate that the US suffered 2 dead and 11 wounded Soldiers in the conflict while an estimated 32 insurgents were killed (out of an estimated force of 40 - 70 fighters). In military terms, the battle was a complete victory for the U.S. forces, detecting and annihilating an insurgent force before it could launch a planned assault on Ramadi. Politically, the action revealed the continuing ability of Al-Qaeda in Iraq to plan and assemble forces in their attempt to destabilize the Anbar region.

[edit] Timeline of Events

On the night of June 30, 2007, a routine patrol on the outskirts of Ramadi revealed the presence of a company-sized element of anti-Iraqi forces. Partially hidden behind two trucks, the AIF began firing on the reconnaissance group, forcing them to retreat to nearby cover and calling for backup forces.

A platoon sized element arrived a short while later to reinforce the US side. Although outnumbered, the Americans brought superior firepower to bear and eventually began to shift the tide of battle. With continuing ground fire and later with air support the U.S. successfully eliminated 30+ AIF and managed to destroy the 2 AIF trucks carrying massive quantities of weapons and ammunition before calm took over early in the morning.

On 01 July 2007 the AIF resumed the battle by ambushing elements of the U.S. Army which resulted in a quick fire fight which ended the battle.

In the days to follow, follow up missions were conducted by the U.S. Army and the U.S. Marines on both sides of the canal to ensure all AIF were eliminated.

[edit] References

Documentary Film - Recreation of the Battle of Donkey Island from the film 'Answering the Call', produced by Strategic Vision, Inc.

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