Iraqi Special Operations Forces

The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS; ) is an Iraqi security and intelligence agency tasked with counterterrorism. The Service’s operational arm is called the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF; ). They are an elite special operations force composed of three brigades based in several governorates, and who are often collectively referred to as the Golden Division.

During the occupation of Iraq, all military, security, and intelligence entities of the country were dissolved by the Coalition Provisional Authority following the issuance of CPA Order 2, and rebuilt from scratch. CTS was created in 2007 and is funded by the Ministry of Defence. The Service played a crucial role in combatting terrorism during the war in Iraq (2013-2017). ISOF have conducted joint operations with the Green Berets.

History

Special operations troops of the Iraqi Army were first established when Colonel Khalil Dabbagh built the first royal special units in the name of "Queen Alia Forces" in the mid-1950s. It consisted of Sunni and Shia Arabs, as well as other components of the Iraqi population. They were mainly used on an emergency basis to carry out special missions inside of Iraq and outside when the country was at war.

The 65th Special Forces Brigade, 76th Special Forces Brigade, 78th Special Forces Brigade, and 450th Marine Brigade were active during the Gulf War.

After the 2003 Invasion of Iraq, the Saddam Hussein-era Iraqi Army was disbanded by the occupation authorities. In late 2003, a commando battalion was recruited from scratch, mostly from Arabs ( Shias and Sunnis), but also Kurds, Assyrians and Turkmen. Another more clandestine battalion named the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Force (ICTF), with robust intelligence capabilities and specialised in counterterrorism and hostage rescue, was also formed at the same time. The aforementioned commando battalion was placed in a supporting role to the latter, with the aim that a premier counterinsurgency force would eventually be developed around the two battalions. The first Iraqi Special Operations Forces brigade (ISOF-1) was formed by the Iraqi Army with the help of U.S special operations forces in July 2005. In November 2005, after training in Jordan with
Jordanian Special Forces and U.S. Army Special Forces ("Green Berets"), the Iraqi Special Operations Force had 1,440 men trained, composed of two combat battalions, considered equal in training and combat effectiveness to an average U.S. Army infantry battalion, and two support battalions.

In April 2007, the Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) was established with ISOF as its operational arm, and by March 2008, it consisted of a single brigade which in turn was made up of Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (ICTF) battalion, three commando battalions, a support battalion and a special reconnaissance unit.Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq
- March 2008 Report to Congress.

The 2nd Special Operations Forces brigade (ISOF-2) was formed in July 2009.

On April 18, 2010, ISOF troops, supported by U.S. troops, carried out a night-time raid on a terrorist safe house near Tikrit. The ISOF surrounded the building and called on them to surrender, but instead the terrorists fired on them. The ISOF returned fire and assaulted the building. The ISOF killed Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the leaders of the Islamic State of Iraq, 16 others were also arrested.

After the U.S. left in 2011, the CTS struggled without American intelligence, air strikes, logistical capabilities, and medical care. Journalist/researcher Michael R. Gordon was told that with the withdrawal of the U.S. Army and Air Force, and the fraying of Iraqi capabilities, Maliki had saddled the CTS "with a burgeoning array of missions that included manning checkpoints, escorting convoys, protecting voting centres, and doing battle with militants in densely populated Iraqi cities. A specialised force that had been designed to carry out lightning raids against terrorist cells (with considerable .S.support) had become a jack-of-all-trades that was being tasked to deal with the upheaval in Iraq." Well-respected U.S. Army special operations Major General Mike Nagata found Major General Fadhil Jamil al-Barwari, who led the 1st ISOF Brigade of the CTS, "no longer the confident commander" that he had been in years past.

The 3rd Special Operations Forces brigade (ISOF-3) was formed in spring 2013.

2016 Battle of Mosul

In the Battle of Mosul that began in October 2016, the special ops forces were the first division into the city of Mosul, which had been occupied by Islamic State since 2014. After the fall of Mosul, the ISOF battalions increasingly took up an infantry role the Iraqi army and militias weren't able to provide during operations, a role the unit was unfamiliar with for most of the war against terror. This resulted in a greater number of casualties than in previous operations, which were smaller in scale and shorter in duration.

On 1 November 2016, the 1st Iraqi Special Forces Brigade fought its way into the Gogjali quarter of the city, becoming the first Iraqi unit to enter the city during the offensive. On 10 July 2017, the Iraqi prime minister declared the liberation of Mosul from ISIS. By the end of the battle, CTS forces suffered a 40 percent casualty rate.

Command Structure

The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) are organized into three primary brigades, each responsible for operations in different regions of Iraq. The structure includes specialized battalions for commando, support, reconnaissance, and tactical operations.

* 1st Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-1) – Based in Baghdad, often referred to as the Golden Division, previously known as the Golden Brigade.
** 1st Battalion (Commando) – Former 36th Battalion
** 2nd Battalion (ICTF)
** 3rd Battalion (Support)
** 5th Battalion (Reconnaissance)

* 2nd Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-2) – Operates in Nineveh, Kirkuk, Karbala, Diyala, and Al Asad.
** 6th Regional Commando Battalion
** 7th Regional Commando Battalion
** 8th Regional Commando Battalion
** 9th Regional Commando Battalion

* 3rd Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-3) – Responsible for operations in Basra, Babylon, Najaf, Maysan, Dhi Qar, and Muthanna. This brigade includes:
** 10th Regional Commando Battalion
** 20th Regional Commando Battalion
** 36th Regional Commando Battalion
** 45th Regional Commando Battalion
Additionally, the brigade maintains a reconnaissance battalion, a support battalion, and a Special Tactics Unit.

* Academia – Formerly the 4th Battalion of the 1st ISOF Brigade, this unit is responsible for screening and training new recruits for the Counter-Terrorism Command (CTC).

Weapons

Handguns

* Beretta 92FS pistol
* Tariq pistol
* S&W M&P9 pistol
* Glock 17 & Glock 19
* HS2000 pistol

Assault rifles and battle rifles

* M4A1 carbine
* M16A2/M16A4
* Remington R4
* Rock River Arms LAR-15
* SIG Sauer SIGM400
* VHS-K2/D2 bullpup assault rifle
* K2C carbine
* OTs-14 Groza

Sniper rifles and anti material rifles

*HSR Cyclone sniper rifle
* Steyr HS .50/AM50 anti-material rifle
* M24 SWS
*ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifle
* Barrett M82A1/M107 SASR
* K14 sniper rifle
* Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle

Machine guns

* PKM
* M249 light Machine gun
* M240 GPMG
* DShKM heavy machine gun
* Browning M2HB

Launchers and grenade launchers

* M203 grenade launcher
* RPG-7
* RPG-27
* M136 AT4
* Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon
* Milkor MGL
* Daewoo Precision Industries K4
* Mk 47 Striker

Vehicles

* Promoter DAPC-2
* Humvee

Notes

References

Further reading

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{{Iraqi security forces

2007 establishments in Iraq
Military counterterrorist organizations
Institutions of the Iraqi Council of Ministers
Military units and formations established in 2007
Special forces of Iraq
Iraqi intelligence agencies