The Task Force 976 Thai-Iraq () (กกล.ฉก ๙๗๖) was a military unit of the

Royal Thai Armed Forces The Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF; ; ) are the armed forces of the Kingdom of Thailand. The Highest Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces (จอมทัพไทย; ) is the King of Thailand. The armed forces are managed by the Minist ...

, it was a part of the

Multi-National Force – Iraq The Multi-National Force – Iraq (MNF–I), often referred to as the Coalition forces, was a U.S.-led military command during the Iraq War from 2004 to 2009. The vast majority of MNF-I was made up of United States Army forces. However it also ...

The Mission unit was Humanitarian Operation in

Iraq Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to Iraq–Saudi Arabia border, the south, Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq border, the east, the Persian Gulf and ...

, After the successful US invasion of Iraq, Thailand contributed 423 non-combat troops (it's a combined forces between a few combat unit, combat service support unit, and combat support unit) in August 2003 to nation building and medical assistance in post-Saddam Iraq. Troops of the Royal Thai Army were attacked in the 2003 Karbala bombings, which killed two soldiers and wounded five others.Karbala attacks kill 12, wound dozens
CNN (27 December 2003). Retrieved on 2012-01-18. However, the Thai mission in Iraq was considered an overall success, and Thailand withdrew its forces in August 2004. The mission was considered the main reason the United States decided to designate Thailand as a

major non-NATO ally A major non-NATO ally (MNNA) is a designation given by the Federal government of the United States, United States government to countries that have strategic working relationships with the United States Armed Forces while not being members of t ...

in 2003.Thailand
centcom.mil

Force overview

Thailand's Task Force 976 Thai-Iraq Consisted of an engineer battalion, six medical teams, a force security platoon, and a support platoon. The Task Force served under Polish command in MND-CS.

Operations

* The Thai Force deployed to Lima Camp in

Karbala Karbala is a major city in central Iraq. It is the capital of Karbala Governorate. With an estimated population of 691,100 people in 2024, Karbala is the second largest city in central Iraq, after Baghdad. The city is located about southwest ...

in September 2003 to provide engineering support, civil-military operations, and humanitarian assistance. It rebuilt local hospitals and clinics, renovated and reopened schools, and repaired other infrastructure facilities. The Thai engineers also assisted in constructing and repairing MND-CS installations around

, while the medical service teams administered medical care to locals and provided physicians to support the polish medical company. * On 27 December 2003, Suicide bombers struck Camp Lima, some 100 kilometers southwest of Baghdad, station (all in Karbala). The Camp Lima attacker rammed his vehicle into the post's wall, killing two Thai Security Troops and wounding five other Thai Soldiers. In all, 6 coalition troop were killed (The other 4 being Bulgarian) and 97 coalition troops were wounded. At least 8 civilians were killed and many more wounded. The attack was atypical, as a majority of the violence at the time was centered on the Sunni Triangle are a around Baghdad. Despite saying it would withdraw troops if attacked, The Thai government decided to keep the Task Force deployed until its original mandate expire on 30 September 2004.

References

{{Reflist Multinational force involved in the Iraq War Non-combat military operations involving Thailand *

Force overview

Operations

See also

References