page_title: Battle of Ramadi (2006)
section_title: Prelude
hierarchical_section_title: Battle of Ramadi (2006) / Prelude
caption_attribution_description: English: U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joseph Digloramo (right) provides overhead security while seeking cover from indirect small-arms fire during an operation to prevent and disrupt insurgency activity in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on April 25, 2006. Digloramo is assigned as a combat correspondent with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.
context_page_description: The Battle of Ramadi in 2006 was fought during the Iraq War from March 2006 to November 2006, for control of the capital of the Al Anbar Governorate in western Iraq. A combined force of U.S. Army Soldiers, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy SEALs, and Iraqi Security Forces fought insurgents for control of key locations in Ramadi, including the Government Centre which was held by 1st Bn 6th Marines bravo company and the General Hospital. Coalition strategy relied on establishing a number of patrol bases called Combat Operation Posts throughout the city which many where manned by other elements of 1st Bn 6th Marines and some from the army on the outer parts of the city.
  U.S. military officers believe that insurgent actions during the battle led to the formation of the Anbar Awakening. In August, insurgents executed a tribal sheik who was encouraging his kinsmen to join the Iraqi police and prevented his body from being buried in accordance with Islamic laws. In response, Sunni sheiks banded together to drive insurgents from Ramadi. In September 2006, Sheik Abdul Sattar Abu Risha formed the Anbar Salvation Council, an alliance of approximately 40 Sunni tribes.
  U.S. Navy SEAL Michael A.
context_section_description: On April 17, 2006, the second Battle of Ramadi began. A sophisticated and aggressive attack was launched by insurgents attacking Observation Post Virginia, the Government Center, the Snake Pit Outpost, and Camp Ramadi all simultaneously by forces led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. OP Virginia was the target of a heavily armed vehicle-born suicide bomber. The suicide bomber drove an armored yellow dump truck loaded with approximately one thousand pounds of explosives through the gate of the outpost and detonated it. Insurgents with small arms and RPGs then moved in on the post; a major firefight ensued. The Marines of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion 8th Marines, eventually repelled the attack, killing dozens of insurgents with few Marine casualties. Simultaneously, the Government Center defended by Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines, had repelled insurgents trying to infiltrate the government compound and kidnap the Governor. On or before April 25, 2006, Marines of Kilo Company raided a location that had CDs with videos showing the attack on OP Virginia and of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi planning the attack, which bore the logo of the organization of the Mujahideen Shura Council (Iraq). The videos were subsequently released.
  On June 14, U.S. and Iraqi forces in Baghdad began Operation Together Forward, an operation intended to curb the sectarian killings in the capital.
  In early June 2006, the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 1st U.S. Armored Division and elements from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division were deployed to the Ramadi area from Tal Afar and Kuwait respectively and began preparations to take on the insurgents in the capital of Al Anbar province, Ramadi. Word of an offensive already gotten to the 400,000 citizens of the city who feared another Fallujah style attack. But the U.S. commander of 1/1 AD, Colonel Sean MacFarland (who later went on to command Operation Inherent Resolve in 2015) decided to take it slowly and softly, without using heavy close air support, artillery or tank fire. By June 10, U.S. troops had "cordoned off" the city. U.S. airstrikes on residential areas were escalating, and US troops took to the streets with loudspeakers to warn civilians of a fierce impending attack.
  The objective of the operation was to cut off resupply and reinforcements to the insurgents in Ramadi by gaining control of the key entry points into the city. U.S. forces also planned to establish new combat outposts (COPs) and patrol bases throughout the city, moving off their forward operating bases in order to engage the population and establish relationships with local leaders.
  On June 7, through intelligence tracking, Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was located and killed by US Forces in a precision-guided bomb strike outside of Baghdad along with five other insurgents. By June 17, there were several skirmishes with the insurgents which killed two American soldiers.
caption: Marines during an operation to prevent and disrupt insurgency activity in Ramadi, April 25, 2006
exif: {"Image ImageDescription": "060425-M-9529D-011\n\n      U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Joseph Digloramo (right) provides overhead security while seeking cover from indirect small-arms fire during an operation to prevent and disrupt insurgency activity in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, on April 25, 2006.  Digloramo is assigned as a combat correspondent with India Company, 3rd Battalion, 8th Marines.  DoD photo by Lance Cpl. William L. Dubose III, U.S. Marine Corps.  (Released)", "Image Make": "Canon", "Image Model": "Canon EOS 20D", "Image Orientation": "Horizontal (normal)", "Image XResolution": "72", "Image YResolution": "72", "Image ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Image Software": "Adobe Photoshop CS Macintosh", "Image DateTime": "2006:05:04 16:00:09", "Image Artist": "LCpl. William L. Dubose III", "Image YCbCrPositioning": "Co-sited", "Image ExifOffset": "700", "Thumbnail Compression": "JPEG (old-style)", "Thumbnail XResolution": "72", "Thumbnail YResolution": "72", "Thumbnail ResolutionUnit": "Pixels/Inch", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "1482", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6455", "EXIF ExposureTime": "1/250", "EXIF FNumber": "8", "EXIF ExposureProgram": "Program Normal", "EXIF ISOSpeedRatings": "200", "EXIF ExifVersion": "0221", "EXIF DateTimeOriginal": "2006:04:25 16:46:53", "EXIF DateTimeDigitized": "2006:04:25 16:46:53", "EXIF ComponentsConfiguration": "YCbCr", "EXIF ShutterSpeedValue": "261023/32768", "EXIF ApertureValue": "6", "EXIF ExposureBiasValue": "0", "EXIF MeteringMode": "Average", "EXIF Flash": "Flash did not fire, compulsory flash mode", "EXIF FocalLength": "18", "EXIF FlashPixVersion": "0100", "EXIF ColorSpace": "sRGB", "EXIF ExifImageWidth": "3504", "EXIF ExifImageLength": "2336", "EXIF FocalPlaneXResolution": "233600/59", "EXIF FocalPlaneYResolution": "233600/59", "EXIF FocalPlaneResolutionUnit": "2", "EXIF CustomRendered": "Normal", "EXIF ExposureMode": "Auto Exposure", "EXIF WhiteBalance": "Auto", "EXIF SceneCaptureType": "Standard"}