The 12th Light Infantry Division is a

formation Formation may refer to: Linguistics * Back-formation, the process of creating a new lexeme by removing or affixes * Word formation, the creation of a new word by adding affixes Mathematics and science * Cave formation or speleothem, a secondary ...

of the

Iraqi Army The Iraqi Ground Forces ( Arabic: القوات البرية العراقية), or the Iraqi Army ( Arabic: الجيش العراقي), is the ground force component of the Iraqi Armed Forces. It was known as the Royal Iraqi Army up until the co ...

. The 12th Division was originally activated in the 1970s or 1980s, and probably disbanded after 1991 (it was not listed in a

Jane's Intelligence Review ''Jane's Intelligence Review'' is a monthly journal on global security and stability issues published by Jane's Information Group. Its coverage includes international security issues, state stability, terrorism and insurgency, ongoing conflicts, ...

survey of September 1997). It was an armoured division during the 1991

Persian Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. It was part of the armoured reserves in the rear of the Kuwaiti theatre, as part of the Jihad Corps alongside the 10th Armoured Division. U.S. Army analysts believed the two divisions retained an average "combat effectiveness percentage" of 59%. Among the division's brigades was the 50th Armoured Brigade, under the command of Colonel Mohammed Ashad. After the ground offensive began, the U.S.

1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) The 1st Infantry Division is a combined arms division of the United States Army, and is the oldest continuously serving division in the Regular Army. It has seen continuous service since its organization in 1917 during World War I. It was o ...

, the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment, and

Task Force 1-41 Infantry Task Force 1-41 Infantry was a U.S. Army heavy battalion task force which took part in the Gulf War of January – March 1991. It was also known as Task Force Iron. Task Force 1-41 Infantry was the first coalition force to breach the Saudi Ara ...

destroyed most of the division, destroying no less than 80 combat vehicles. Other elements of the division were destroyed by British forces during the

Battle of Norfolk The Battle of Norfolk was a tank battle fought on February 27, 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, between armored forces of the United States and United Kingdom, and those of the Iraqi Republican Guard in the Muthanna Province of southern Iraq. ...

After 2003 invasion of Iraq

The 12th Division was planned to be established in July 2008 by doubling the 4th Division. Its home base was planned to be at

Tikrit Tikrit ( ar, تِكْرِيت ''Tikrīt'' , Syriac: ܬܲܓܪܝܼܬܼ ''Tagrīṯ'') is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Governorate. , it h ...

and take into account the province of Salah ad-Din Governorate. It was to be initially made up of three trained strategic infrastructure brigades and was to receive the 4th Brigade, 4th Division. A new 4th Brigade was to have been formed for the 4th Division from effective excess staff from the other three brigades of the division. Division Units: * Headquarters and Service Company * 46th Motorised Brigade (''ex-1st Strategic Infrastructure Brigade'') * 47th Motorised Brigade (''ex-2nd Strategic Infrastructure Brigade'') * 48th Brigade (''ex-9th Strategic Infrastructure Brigade'') * 49th Brigade (''ex-4-4'') * 12th Motorized Transportation Regiment The 49th Brigade, former 4th Brigade of the 4th Division, the more operational brigade of 12th Division is currently (July 2008) deployed to Baghdad to take part in the battles of

Sadr City Sadr City ( ar, مدينة الصدر, translit=Madīnat aṣ-Ṣadr), formerly known as Al-Thawra ( ar, الثورة, aṯ-Ṯawra) and Saddam City ( ar, مدينة صدام, Madīnat Ṣaddām), is a suburb district of the city of Baghdad, Iraq. ...

. The 48th Brigade is now part of the 4th Division. Circa 2009 the 12th Division was located in

.12th Division, Iraqi Army
GlobalSecurity.org. As July 2010, division's units are : * Headquarters and Service Company * 15th (Eagles) AAslt Brigade (from 4th Division) * 46th Motorised Brigade (''ex-1st Strategic Infrastructure Brigade'') * 47th Motorised Brigade (''ex-2nd Strategic Infrastructure Brigade'') * 49th Brigade (''ex-4-4'') * 12th Motorized Transportation Regiment

References

Works Consulted

* *http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/iraq/12ad.htm Divisions of Iraq Military units and formations established in 2008 {{iraq-mil-stub