Ramadan Offensive (2006)

2006 Ramadan Offensive
Part of the Iraq War and the Iraqi Civil War
Date 23 September 2006 – 22 October 2006 Location Iraq Result Al-Qaeda victory Territorial changes Most of Baghdad, Al Anbar province and Babil province comes under Al-Qaeda control
Belligerents
United States Iraq United Kingdom Denmark El Salvador	Mujahideen Shura Council Al-Qaeda in Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Gen. George Casey	Abu Ayyub al-Masri Abu Omar al-Baghdadi
Strength
10,000+ soldiers 6,000+ soldiers 2,500+ soldiers 500 soldiers 200 soldiers	1,500+ soldiers
Casualties and losses
487 killed 349 killed 9 killed 53 killed 2 killed	24+ killed

The Ramadan Offensive refers to the attacks mounted by insurgents in Iraq during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan in 2006, three years after the original Ramadan Offensive.

Among the targets were U.S., Iraqi and other Coalition military targets, but many civilians were also killed by death squads. Most of the civilian killings was conducted by the Mahdi Army who were seeking to purge the Sunni population of Baghdad. The offensive coincided with a Coalition operation called Together Forward which was to significantly reduce the violence in Baghdad which had seen a sharp uprise since the mid-February 2006 bombing of the Askariya Mosque, a major Shia Muslim shrine, in Samarra. However, the operation failed. Moreover, the insurgents managed take control of more than 80 percent of Baghdad. Also insurgents made huge gains in the western Al Anbar and southern Babil province, forcing Coalition and Iraqi security forces from many towns and cities. This period also saw the battle of Amarah, during which rogue Mahdi Army fighters fought with the police, who were members of the Badr Organisation, for control of the southern city of Amarah.