Battle of Baghdad (2006-08)
The Battle of Baghdad was fought during the Iraq War from September 2006 to June 2008, for control of the capital of Iraq in central Iraq. A combined force of U.S. Soldiers, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy SEALs, and Iraqi Security Forces fought against insurgents to retain control of the city.
The battle coincided with an unsuccessful coalition operation called Together Forward which was to significantly reduce the violence in Baghdad which had seen a sharp uprise in sectarian violence since the mid-February 2006 bombing of the Askariya Mosque, a major Shia Muslim shrine. Insurgents managed take control of more than 80 percent of Baghdad before an offensive conducted by Iraqi forces and allies to secure Baghdad. Insurgents also made huge gains in the western Al Anbar and southern Babil province, temporarily forcing Coalition and Iraqi security forces from many towns and cities. Most direct insurgent control of Baghdad ended by late-2007, and the battle continued until Iraqi forces and allies fully secured Baghdad and expelled insurgent presence by mid-2008.
