Iraqi forces recaptured Fallujah from ISIL in June 2016, marking a significant reversal of the group's territorial control in western Iraq.
Key Facts
- Operation start date
- 22 May 2016
- City recaptured
- 26 June 2016
- Full operation concluded
- 28 June 2016
- Distance from Baghdad
- 69 kilometres (43 mi) west
- Siege duration before assault
- Three months
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
ISIL had seized and held Fallujah, a city approximately 69 kilometres west of Baghdad, prompting Iraqi forces to impose a total siege beginning roughly three months before the main offensive. The city's proximity to the capital made its recapture a strategic priority for the Iraqi government.
Operation Breaking Terrorism commenced on 22 May 2016 as an Iraqi military offensive to retake Fallujah and its surrounding suburbs from ISIL. The operation involved sustained pressure against ISIL defenses throughout the city and its outskirts over the course of more than a month of combat operations.
On 26 June 2016, Iraqi forces recaptured the city of Fallujah itself, and by 28 June they had eliminated the remaining pocket of ISIL resistance in the western outskirts, completing the operation and restoring Iraqi government control over the city for the first time since ISIL's takeover.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent