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Operation Matador (Iraq)
Part of Post-invasion Iraq
Date 8 May 2005–19 May 2005 Location Ubaydi (near Al Qaim), Al-Anbar Result U.S. Tactical Victory
Belligerents
United States	Iraqi insurgents al-Qaeda in Iraq
Commanders
Col. S.W. Davis	Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Strength
1,000	unknown
Casualties and losses
9 KIA,40 WIA [1]	125+ military and civilian killed

The Battle of Al Qaim (code-named Operation Matador) was a military offensive conducted by the United States Marine Corps, against insurgent positions in Iraq's northwestern Anbar province, which ran from 8 May 2005 to 19 May 2005. It was focused on eliminating insurgents and foreign fighters in a region known as a smuggling route and a sanctuary for foreign fighters ^[2].

Details

In mid-May 2005, elements of the 2nd Marine Division conducted a sweep of an insurgent-held area near the Syrian border. 814th Engineer Company (MRB) led the initial offensive; breaching the river obstacle with a ribbon float bridge while conducting concurrent rafting. It lasted eleven days, during which the U.S. troops killed more than 125 suspected insurgents and captured 39 others. The Marines captured few weapons caches and suffered 9 killed in action and 40 wounded in action. Notable among these casualties was a squad from 1st Platoon, Lima Company 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines which had all of its members killed or wounded, mostly while embarked in an amphibian tractor that was struck by an IED.^[3].

Many of the insurgents encountered were wearing uniforms, and in some cases were wearing protective vests. Furthermore coalition officials noted that the training, tactics and organization displayed by the insurgents battled in the Syrian desert exceeded that which had been seen in other engagements further east, with only the exception of the former members of the Fedayeen (that comprised a large portion of insurgents fought by the Coalition in Operation Vigilant Resolve.) Thus it is plausible to believe that the Fedayeen made a large portion of the insurgents fought in Matador.

Additionally, the Marines in Matador did not have sufficient numbers to setup a permanent garrison in Al-Qa'im and the other insurgent held towns and withdrew as a result. Consequently as soon as they left guerilla fighters were back in the towns and reestablished control over the town. ^[4]Insurgents continued presence in the Syrian desert meant that the Syrian border would remain a viable route for smuggling military equipment used by the insurgency .The engagement could loosely be described as a running battle, with the heaviest fighting taking place in urban environments located in Ubaydi, Arabi, and Al-Qa'im, all are cities in the insurgent dominated Al Anbar Governorate^[5]. It was followed by Operation Squeeze Play.

See also

United States Marine Corps portal

Iraq War portal

Iraq portal

• 2005 in Iraq
• Post-invasion Iraq, 2003–2006
• Iraqi insurgency
• Al Anbar Governorate
• Syrian Desert

Notes

*Ellen Knickmeyer is the Bagdad bureau chief for the Washington Post and an embedded reporter in Iraq.

References

• Miles, Donna (10 May 2005). "Operation Matador Helping Flush Insurgents From Western Iraq". DefenseLINK News. U.S. Department of Defense. http://www.dod.mil/news/May2005/20050510_986.html. Retrieved 17 July 2006.  

External links

• Flower, Kevin; Dulami, Enes; and Kianne Sadeq (14 May 2005). "Hunt for insurgents near Syria ends, More than 125 insurgents, nine Marines dead". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/meast/05/14/iraq.main/index.html. Retrieved 17 July 2006.