2008 Iraqi Day of Ashura fighting

2008 Iraqi Day of Ashura fighting
Part of the Iraq War, Iraqi insurgency
DateJanuary 18–19, 2008
Location
Result Iraqi security forces victory
Belligerents
Iraq Iraq Soldiers of Heaven
Commanders and leaders
Iraq Gen. Abdul-Jalil Khalaf
Iraq Col. Abdel Amir Jabbar 
Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni
Abu Mustapha Ansari 
Strength
Unknown 200+
Casualties and losses
18 killed
33 wounded
58 killed
166 captured
4 civilians killed
Unconfirmed reports suggest 147 killed on both sides

The 2008 Iraqi Day of Ashura fighting was a series of clashes that occurred on the Islamic holy day of Ashura on January 18, 2008 and the next day in the Iraqi cities of Basra and Nasiriyah. The battles were fought between the Iraqi security forces and fighters of an Iraqi cult called the Soldiers of Heaven, which a year before fought a similar battle, also on Ashura, near the city of Najaf. Then their leader was reported killed along with his deputy Ahmed Hassani al-Yemeni but this time around it was reported that al-Yemeni was still alive and leading the cultists.