Operation Alljah

Operation Alljah
Part of the Iraq War (Operation Phantom Thunder)
An Iraqi policeman talks with two Iraqi civilians as they wait in line to receive new identification cards at a police precinct in Fallujah on June 30, 2007. As part of Operation Alljah, Marines and Iraqi Security Forces sectioned the city into precincts and set up operational stations where Iraqi civilians come in to receive identification cards, food, reimbursements and a chance to join the neighborhood watch program.
Date June 16, 2007 - August 14, 2007 Location Fallujah and Karma, Iraq Result Security responsibility handed over to local police
Belligerents
United States New Iraqi Army	Iraqi Insurgency Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Commanders and leaders
LtCol William F. Mullen III	Unknown
Strength
Unknown	Unknown
Casualties and losses
6 killed (U.S.), 20 killed (Iraqi security forces)	39 killed (10 bombers)

Operation Alljah was an operation launched by Coalition forces in Iraq, mainly U.S. Marines, in June 2007 to secure the neighborhoods of Fallujah. The strategy of the operation was somewhat based on a successful operation in Ramadi conducted in 2006. Insurgents in the town of Karma nearby were also targeted during the operation, which was part of the overall operation Phantom Thunder.

Strategy

The strategy for Operation Alljah is based on a successful strategy used in the city of Ramadi. Fallujah was divided up into 11 sections managed by individual units of Iraqi policemen. U.S. commanders tried to keep the Iraqis in leading roles, with coalition forces in support.

To separate the parts of the city so that each isolated section could be dealt with more easily, the coalition forces set up barriers, leaving a limited number of access points to get between the districts of the city. This was intended to make it harder for wanted people to move throughout the city, and isolate trouble areas.

Each precinct had a building set as a base of operations, where civilians can receive various services, including food and limited damage reimbursement. These buildings also serve as recruitment centers and bases of operations for the Iraqi police in those precincts. The precinct headquarters also issue ID cards, which make it less of a hassle to get through checkpoints. The ID cards also make it easier to track suspects within the city.

The Operation

In the western Al Anbar province operations attacked insurgent supply lines and weapons caches, targeting the regions of Fallujah, Karma and Thar Thar. Commanders of the operation expressed belief that Fallujah would be cleared by August and that the regions of Karma and Thar Thar would be cleared by July.^[1]

On June 17, a raid near Karma killed a known Libyan Al-Qaeda fighter and six of his aides and on June 21 six al-Qaeda members were killed and five were detained during early-morning raids also near Karma. Also on June 23, a U.S. airstrike killed five suspects and destroyed their car bomb near Fallujah. Insurgents also struck back in Fallujah with two suicide bombings and an attack on an off-duty policeman that left four policemen dead on June 22. On June 29, U.S. forces killed a senior al-Qaeda leader east of Fallujah. Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Masri, an Egyptian, was a veteran of both battles of Fallujah. On July 6 a raid west of Fallujah resulted in the killing of an Al-Qaeda in Iraq battalion commander and two of his men and the capture of two more insurgents.^{[2][2][3][4][5][6]}

On August 14, Marines in Fallujah formally handed over full responsibility for the security of Fallujah to local police. The same day the overall operation Phantom Thunder ended.

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  2nd Battalion 6th Marines Team 2 work with Fallujah Police to secure the first precinct.

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  Iraqi Police deemed crucial to the success of Operation Alljah.

Units involved

• Regimental Combat Team 6
  • 2nd Battalion 6th Marines
  • 3rd Battalion 6th Marines
  • 2nd Battalion 7th Marines
• Company B, 2nd Tank Battalion
• 2nd Marine Logistics Group
• 5th Battalion 10th Marines Civil Affairs Group (C.A.G)
• 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment

See also

• 2007 in Iraq
• Iraq War

References

1. ^ [1]^{[dead link]}
2. ^ ^{a b} Multi-National Force - Iraq - Al-Qaeda foreign fighter killed
3. ^ Reuters AlertNet - FACTBOX-Security developments in Iraq, June 23
4. ^ Multi-National Force - Iraq - Six al-Qaeda killed, five detained near Karmah
5. ^ Aswat Aliraq
6. ^ Multi-National Force - Iraq - Another senior al-Qaeda leader identified, killed

External links

• "2/6 kicks off Operation Alljah" Marine Corps News story about the start of Operation Alljah
• Philly.com story about a man embedded in a unit involved in Operation Alljah
• "CLB-6 participates in Operation Alljah" Marine Corps News story about a unit involved in Operation Alljah
• "RCT-6 Continues Operation Alljah in Fallujah"