Battle of Hawija

Battle of Hawija
Part of the American-led intervention in Iraq (2014–present) and the War in Iraq (2013–2017)

Map of the advances of the Iraqi forces during the offensive
Date20 September – 8 October 2017
(2 weeks and 4 days)[2][3]
Location
Result Iraqi victory
Territorial
changes
The Iraqi Army recaptures Hawija, 155 villages,[4] and the rest of the eastern Salahuddin and Diyala Provinces[5][6]
Belligerents

 Iraq
Supported by:
 Iran[1]
CJTF–OIR

 Islamic State
Commanders and leaders
Iraq Abdul-Amir Rashid Yarallah[7]
(operations commander)
Iraq Qais Khazali[8]
(leader of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq)
Iraq Akram al-Kaabi[8]
(HHN secretary general)
Iraq Abu Mushtaq[1]
(PMF commander)
Islamic State Qusay Hassan Wali Al-Bayati "Abu Haytham"[9]
(Wali of Wilayat Kirkuk and Wilayat Dijlah)
Islamic State Abu Nasser al-Zawbaei [10]
(Wali of Hawija)
Islamic State Abu Abdullah al-Tajiki [11]
(sniper commander)
Units involved

Iraq Iraqi Security Forces

 United States Air Force[12]

Islamic State Military of ISIL

  • Garrison of Wilayat Kirkuk and Wilayat Dijlah
    • Saladin Battalion[9]
  • Elite forces
    • Seekers of Martyrdom[15]
Strength
42,000 soldiers[16] 1,500–2,000 militants[17][18]
Casualties and losses
Unknown 942 killed (Iraqi claim)[4]
1,000 captured or surrendered[15]

The Battle of Hawija was an offensive launched in September 2017 by the Iraqi Army, in order to recapture the town of Hawija and the surrounding areas from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).[19]

The offensive was concurrent with the 2017 Central Syria campaign by the Syrian Army to capture ISIL territory towards Deir ez-Zor, as well as with the Raqqa campaign (2016–17) conducted by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) against ISIL's de facto capital city and stronghold in Syria.

  1. ^ a b c Dlshad Anwar (27 September 2017). "Iran-backed Militia Taking Leading Role in Operation for Iraq's Hawija". Voice of America. Retrieved 1 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Iraq forces retake town of Hawija from IS". BBC News. 5 October 2017. Retrieved 5 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Map: Remaining Iraqi Territories Under Control of IS". Basnews. 8 October 2017. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Over 300 Islamic State militants killed in Hawija offensive: Commander". Iraqi News. 7 October 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2017.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference end Phase 1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference another 200 killed was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b Rikar Hussein (4 October 2017). "Iraqi Army, Allied Shiite Forces Enter IS-held Hawija". Voice of America. Retrieved 9 October 2017.
  8. ^ a b c d Bill Roggio (5 October 2017). "Iraqi troops, Iranian-backed militias eject Islamic State from Hawija". Long War Journal. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  9. ^ a b Gareth Browne (2 September 2017). "Hawija: The next battle in Iraq's war against the Islamic State group". The New Arab. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  10. ^ a b Loaa Adel (29 September 2017). "Iraqi airstrike kills ISIS Wali of Hawija near Kirkuk". Iraqi Times. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  11. ^ Nehal Mostafa (7 October 2017). "IS's Baghdadi's close member, five snipers, killed in airstrike in Kirkuk". Iraqi Times. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  12. ^ a b c d e Derek Henry Flood (18 October 2017). "The Hawija Offensive: A Liberation Exposes Faultlines". Combating Terrorism Center. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  13. ^ a b c آخر التطورات الميدانية لعمليات قادمون يا حويجة حتى الساعة Harbi Press (in Arabic) 3 October 2017 Archived 12 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "بالفيديو: لواء 16 الحشد الشعبي قوة التركمان تعلن استعدادها الكامل للمشاركة في عمليات تحريرى الحويجة - تقارير وتحقيقات". Archived from the original on 3 July 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  15. ^ a b Rod Nordland (8 October 2017). "ISIS Fighters, Having Pledged to Fight or Die, Surrender en Masse". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  16. ^ "Iraq Brought About 42K Fighters Near Daesh Controlled Hawija For Hawija Operation". LiveuaMap. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  17. ^ Jim Michaels. "1,000 ISIS militants surrender as Iraq retakes key town of Hawija". USA Today.
  18. ^ Osama bin Javaid (23 September 2017). "Iraq: Who will control Hawija after ISIL?". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Iraqi forces launch offensive to retake Hawija from IS". BBC News. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.