An armed clash between the Mahdi Army and Iraqi Army in Al Diwaniyah that resulted in 50 combined casualties and exposed militia entrenchment in civilian areas.
Key Facts
- Date
- 28 August 2006
- Iraqi soldiers killed
- 23
- Militia fighters killed
- 20
- Civilians killed
- 7
- Distance from Baghdad
- 180 km
- Ceasefire reached
- By morning of 29 August 2006
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Coalition forces arrested a leader of the Sadr militia in Al Diwaniyah, approximately 180 kilometers south of Baghdad. This arrest provoked an armed response from the Mahdi Army, which mobilized fighters and entrenched them in residential neighborhoods of the city.
On 28 August 2006, Mahdi Army militiamen engaged Iraqi Army soldiers in intense street fighting that continued late into the night. The Iraqi Army reported that a number of its soldiers, having exhausted their ammunition, were captured and executed by militiamen. The battle resulted in 23 Iraqi soldiers, 20 militiamen, and 7 civilians killed.
A ceasefire was established by the following morning. Roughly six weeks later, on 9 October 2006, a second battle erupted in the city, this time between the Mahdi Army and U.S. forces, resulting in 30 militia deaths and significant damage to an American military tank.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent