Battle of Baghdad (2003)

For the battle that began in 2006, see Battle of Baghdad (2006–2008). For other battles in Baghdad, see Battle of Baghdad (disambiguation).

Battle of Baghdad (2003)
Part of the invasion of Iraq

Statue of Saddam Hussein being toppled in Firdos Square
DateApril 3–9, 2003
(6 days)
Location
Baghdad, Iraq
Result

Coalition victory

Belligerents
  Iraq
Commanders and leaders
George W. Bush
Tommy Franks
David D. McKiernan
Tony Blair
Brian Burridge		 Saddam Hussein
Qusay Hussein
Saif Al-Din Al-Rawi
Ra'ad al-Hamdani[1]
Strength
30,000 45,000
Casualties and losses
34 killed[2]
1 A-10 Thunderbolt II shot down
2 Abrams tanks destroyed[3]
17 vehicles destroyed[4]		 1,700–2,120 killed (independent estimate)[5]
2,320 killed (U.S. military estimate)[6]
This article is part of
a series about
Saddam Hussein
Personal
Affiliations
Political offices
Rise to power
Presidency
Desposition
Elections and referendums
Books
Saddam Hussein's signature

The Battle of Baghdad, also known as the Fall of Baghdad, was a military engagement that took place in Baghdad in early April 2003, as part of the invasion of Iraq.

Three weeks into the invasion of Iraq, Coalition Forces Land Component Command elements, led by the U.S. Army 3rd Infantry Division, captured Baghdad. Over 2,000 Iraqi soldiers as well as 34 coalition troops were killed in the battle. After the fall of Baghdad, Coalition forces entered the city of Kirkuk on April 10 and Tikrit on April 15, 2003. The United States officially declared victory against the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein on April 15, and President George W. Bush gave his Mission Accomplished Speech on May 1.

Baghdad suffered serious damage to its civilian infrastructure, economy, and cultural inheritance from the battle and following unrest, including looting and arson. During the invasion, the Al-Yarmouk Hospital in south Baghdad saw a steady rate of about 100 new patients an hour.[7]


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  1. ^ Woods, Kevin M. (2009). Iraqi Perspectives Project: A View of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Saddam's Senior Leadership (PDF). p. 145; 210. ISBN 978-0-9762550-1-7. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 9, 2010.
  2. ^ Iraq Coalition Casualties: Military Fatalities Archived March 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "On April 4, 5th RCT ran into several hundred fedayeen from Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and other parts of the Middle East and Africa. The result was wholesale slaughter, but the cost was considerable: two Abrams tanks were destroyed by the attackers, while numerous vehicles sustained damage from RPG fire. The marines killed a senior general from the Republican Guard ... In addition, marine tankers destroyed twelve to fifteen T-72s and T-55s as well as numerous 37mm anti-aircraft guns, which the Iraqis attempted to use against advancing marines." The Iraq War, Wiiliamson Murray, Robert Scales, p.225, Harvard University Press, 2005
  4. ^ Myers, Steven Lee (April 7, 2003). "Iraqi Missile Hits Army Base". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2018.
  5. ^ "Wages of War – Appendix 1. Survey and assessment of reported Iraqi combatant fatalities in the 2003 War". comw.org. Archived from the original on September 2, 2009. Retrieved December 16, 2011.
  6. ^ Iraqi Death Toll, Health Perils Assessed by Medical Group Archived June 18, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference usa was invoked but never defined (see the help page).