page_title: Balad, Iraq
section_title: During the Iraq War
hierarchical_section_title: Balad, Iraq / During the Iraq War
caption_attribution_description: English: An aerial photo of Joint Base Balad, Iraq, after all U.S. forces departed the base Nov. 8.
context_page_description: Balad, also transliterated Beled or Belad, is a city in Saladin Governorate, Iraq, 80 kilometres north of the national capital, Baghdad. It is the capital of Balad District. Located between the towns of Al Dhuluiya, Yathrib and Ishaqi, Balad’s inhabitants belong to farmers work mainly in grape farms, fig trees, and citrus growers.
  In the later months of 2014 the city was besieged by Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant forces, which were easily repelled by the Shia citizens of the city and the Iraqi government security forces
context_section_description: During the Iraq War Balad was, in 2006, the site of sectarian violence involving Sunni and Shi'ite militias.
  In 2007 the mayor, Amir Abdul Hadi, escaped an assassination attempt.
caption: Balad Air Base following the withdraw of U.S. forces
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