Battle of Donkey Island

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 of Iraq.[1][2]

Battle of Donkey Island
Part of the Iraq War
Date30 June – 1 July 2007
Location
Ramadi, Iraq
Result

U.S. victory

  • Insurgent assault force detected and defeated
Belligerents
United States Islamic state of Iraq
Units involved
1-77 Armor Regiment
2nd Battalion 5th Marines		 1-149 Aviation Battalion
Strength
30–50 soldiers 40–70 fighters
Casualties and losses
2 killed, 11 wounded 32 killed

Official reports of the clash indicate that the U.S. force suffered 2 soldiers dead and 11 wounded, while an estimated 32 insurgents were killed (out of an estimated force of 40–70 fighters). From a military perspective, the battle was a complete victory for the U.S. forces, which detected and defeated an insurgent force before it could launch a planned assault on Ramadi. From a political perspective, the action revealed the continuing ability of al-Qaeda in Iraq to plan and assemble forces in their attempt to destabilize the Anbar region.

Battle

On the night of 30 June 2007, a routine patrol on the outskirts of Ramadi revealed the presence of a company-sized element of insurgent forces. Partially hidden behind two trucks, the insurgents 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 American patrol. Although outnumbered, the U.S. force brought superior firepower to bear and eventually began to shift the tide of battle. With continuing ground fire, and later with air support, the American troops killed more than 30 insurgents and managed to destroy their two trucks carrying large quantities of weapons and ammunition before calm took over early in the morning.

On 1 July, the insurgent fighters resumed the battle by ambushing elements of the U.S. Army, resulting in a quick firefight which ended the battle.

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

See also

References
  1. Ann Scott Tyson (2007-08-20). "A Deadly Clash at Donkey Island". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
  2. Ullrich Fichtner (2007-08-10). "Hope and Despair in Divided Iraq". Spiegel Online. Retrieved 2007-08-20.
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