Combat· Iraq War (Op IRAQI FREEDOM)
al-Fajr Peninsula Attack
The peninsula attack was part of the opening of the Second Battle of Fallujah, a supporting operation on the peninsula formed by a bend in the Euphrates on the western side of the city.
As the main assault prepared to drive into Fallujah from the north, forces moved to seize the peninsula and its approaches, securing the western flank and the river crossings to seal the city and cut off insurgent escape routes across the Euphrates. The action helped isolate Fallujah before the main attack went in, part of the careful shaping of the battlefield that distinguished the deliberate second battle from the hasty first. Controlling the peninsula and the bridges denied the defenders reinforcement and retreat across the river. It was one of the preliminary moves that set the conditions for the main assault, the methodical sealing of the city that preceded the grinding drive through Fallujah's streets.
Record no. 752