Karbala provincial headquarters raid

Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Karbala province had not seen the same intensity of violence that had wracked other areas of Iraq such as Baghdad and Al Anbar province. Although Karbala had been the site of many attacks, it had largely been free of the spectacular bombings that regularly took place in Baghdad or the heavy urban warfare seen in Fallujah, Mosul, Najaf, Ramadi, and elsewhere. There were two notable exceptions: the March 2004 Ashura massacre and the uprising of Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army across southern Iraq the following month. Prior to the 20 January raid, only 33 Coalition soldiers had been killed in Karbala province, constituting just over 1% of total coalition fatalities in Iraq.[10]

The attack was perpetrated by "nine to 12 militants posing as an American security team ... [who] traveled in black GMC Suburban vehicles — the type used by U.S. government convoys — had American weapons, wore new U.S. military combat fatigues, and spoke English." This was denied by the surviving soldiers. According to one Iraqi official, the militant team was led by a blond-haired man. The attack occurred as the U.S. military continued preparations to leave. About 30 U.S. troops were inside the compound at the time.[5]

After being waved through the last of three checkpoints manned by Iraqi security forces at around 17:45, the militants parked their (at least) five SUVs[11] near the city's Provisional Joint Coordination Center (PJCC) main building.[5] The attackers' convoy divided upon arrival, with some vehicles parking at the back of the main building others parking in front. The commandos first used homemade explosive to burn the two Security Vehicles outside. Then they entered the building using fragmentation grenades in an attempt to isolate the two officers. They then stormed into a room the Americans used as a barracks room, attacking with grenades and small arms fire. Once the soldiers in the room were isolated they proceeded to capture two U.S. soldiers, 1LT Jacob Noel Fritz and CPT Brian Scott Freeman.[12] They pulled two more soldiers, PFC Shawn Patrick Falter and SPC Jonathan Bryan Chism out of an armored humvee at the entrance. One soldier, PVT Jonathon Miles Millican, died and three were wounded when a grenade thrown by insurgents exploded in the barracks room on the first floor of the building. Three U.S. humvees were damaged by separate explosions in the raid.[11] No Iraqi policemen or soldiers were injured in the raid, as the insurgents specifically targeted the U.S. soldiers in the compound.[12]

At approximately 18:00, the insurgents broke off the attack and left the compound with their prisoners, heading east toward neighbouring Babil province. Shortly after crossing the Euphrates River, the militants, who were then being followed by U.S. attack helicopters, shot their four captives and abandoned five vehicles along with uniforms, equipment, and a rifle.[11] Three soldiers were found later by Iraqi police with gunshot wounds to their chests near Bu-Alwan, a village close to Mahawil. Three were already dead (two handcuffed together in the back of one of the SUVs and the other on the ground) and the fourth showed up at nearby hospital with a gunshot wound to the head. On the day of the attack, the U.S. military reported only that five soldiers were killed while "repelling the attack."[12] The full details of the attack, including the militants' penetration of the PJCC compound and the capture of four of the five soldiers, were not released until a week later.[13]

Four individuals suspected of participating in the raid were detained on January 22 by U.S. troops and Iraqi security forces.[14]

The mastermind behind the attack, Azhar al-Dulaimi, was killed on May 18 by U.S. forces.[15]

• Operation Greif
• Ahmed Kousay Altaie – A U.S. Army soldier who was captured by Iraqi insurgents and executed
• Wassef Ali Hassoun – A U.S. Marine who claimed to be captured by Iraqi insurgents; later discovered to be a hoax
• American POWs in the 2003 invasion of Iraq
• 2004 Iraq KBR convoy ambush – Capture and execution of Keith Matthew Maupin, a U.S. Army soldier
• June 2006 abduction of U.S. soldiers in Iraq – Capture and execution of Kristian Menchaca and Thomas L. Tucker, two U.S. Army soldiers
• May 2007 abduction of U.S. soldiers in Iraq – Capture and execution of Alex Ramon Jimenez, Joseph John Anzack and Byron Wayne Fouty, three U.S. Army soldiers