The Battle of Ar-Rutbah was a military offensive in

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

launched by the Iraqi Army to recapture the strategic town of

Ar-Rutbah Ar-Rutbah ( ar, الرطبة ''ar-Ruṭba'', also Romanized ''Rutba'', ''Rutbah'') is an Iraqi town in western Al Anbar province, completely inhabited with Sunni Muslims. The population is approximately 28,400. It occupies a strategic location on t ...

from ISIL, along with the rest of the

Ar-Rutba District Ar-Rutba District ( ar, قضاء الرطبة) is the largest district by area in Al Anbar Governorate, Iraq, covering 93,445 km2, and the least populated in relative and absolute terms, with a population of 24,813 (estimate January 2003), o ...

Background

On March 13, a senior Iraqi general reported that ISIL has fully withdrawn from the city of

to Al-Qa'im, after they began leaving the night before. The withdrawal was confirmed by a member of Anbar's security council. It was also reported that ISIL had abandoned the town of

Kabisa Kabisa or Kubaysah (Arabic: كبيسة) is an Iraqi city in the Hīt district of Al-Anbar province. On 4 October 2014 it was captured by Islamic State An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia) ...

as well, and they had also withdrawn from Hīt to some degree, with Iraqi warplanes bombing the retreating militants. This was the first time that ISIL has withdrawn from a major urban area without an actual fight, and the retreat came after recent losses on the battlefield for ISIL in Syria and in the Anbar Province, including a recent offensive on Hīt. However, ISIL returned to the town on the following day.

The offensive

On May 16, the Iraqi Army launched an offensive to recapture the town of Ar-Rutbah, and the rest of the Ar-Rutba District. The Iraqi Army attacked the town from three directions. A US official stated that Ar-Rutbah wasn't as well defended by ISIL as Ramadi or Fallujah, and that there were 100 to several hundred ISIL militants based in the town. On May 17, the commander of Anbar Operations, Major General Hadi Rseg announced that Iraqi Army fully recaptured Ar-Rutbah, and the surrounding areas in the Ar-Rutbah District. During the clashes, at least 4 Iraqi soldiers were killed and 5 more were wounded, and around 100 ISIL fighters were killed. The town is of strategic value as it sits on key transit routes between Iraq and

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

. Its recapture has denied the ISIL of a "critical support zone".

References

Conflicts in 2016 Military operations of the Iraqi Civil War in 2016 Military operations of the War in Iraq (2013–2017) involving the Iraqi government Military operations of the War in Iraq (2013–2017) involving the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant May 2016 events in Iraq {{Asia-mil-stub

Background

The offensive

See also

References