page_title: Iskandariya
section_title: Events during Iraq War (2003-present)
hierarchical_section_title: Iskandariya / History / Events during Iraq War (2003-present)
caption_attribution_description: English: Iskandriyah, Iraq (Mar. 8, 2005) - A U.S. Army Soldier assigned to 155BCT, Charlie Company, National Guard Unit from Tupelo, Miss., hands out candy to local children as he conducts a presence patrol through the neighborhoods of Iskandriyah, Iraq. These patrols are to maintain community relations and to show a presence of security. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 1st Class Brien Aho (RELEASED)
context_page_description: Al-Iskandariya or Alexandria is an ancient city in central Iraq, one of a number of towns in the Near East founded by and named after Alexander the Great. It is a majority Shia Arab district including Musayyib and Jurf Al Sakhr. The district capital is located about 70 kilometres south of Baghdad, near the Euphrates River. [Source: Liberation of Jurf Al Sakhar ]
context_section_description: Alexandria is one of the last big towns before Baghdad and possesses a major military air base, and as such was a major target for United States forces during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It fell quickly but was subsequently the scene of a number of lethal insurgent attacks against the occupying forces and the post-Saddam Iraqi security forces. On June 19, 2003, a soldier from the 804th Medical Brigade was killed when the military ambulance in which he was traveling was hit by a rocket propelled grenade near Alexandria. Another attack, on May 11, 2007, killed a soldier from the 18th Military Police Brigade. Three US Paratroopers from the Army's 82nd Airborne Division were killed by a roadside bomb on January 27, 2004 and another bombing on February 4 killed yet another soldier.
  Forward Operating Base Alexandria, or FOB Iskandariyah a U.S. Military installation was established in Alexandria in May 2003.
  On February 10, a car bomb outside a police station killed at least 45 Iraqis and wounded 150. No coalition forces were killed or injured, but commentators suggested that the attack was both a strike against pro-coalition Iraqi forces and an attempt to create conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
  On March 25, 2016 a terrorist believed to be affiliated with Islamic State of Iraq blew himself up at a soccer game in this town. The incident happened during an award ceremony following the game. The blast reportedly killed at least 31 people and injured more than 70 others. The town's mayor was among the casualties. Video surfaced on the Internet which claimed to show the bombing.
  This town is the location of Al Qa'qaa, a major industrial facility and the location of the Al Qa'qaa high explosives controversy.
caption: A young U.S. soldier hands out candy to a local child in Iskandariya as locals look on
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