Combat· Iraq War (Op IRAQI FREEDOM)
Operation New Market
Operation New Market was a Marine operation in the western Euphrates valley, another in the series of sweeps mounted to disrupt the insurgent and foreign-fighter networks operating in the Anbar border region during 2005.
The Marines pushed into the contested towns to clear al-Qaeda in Iraq forces and their infrastructure, fighting through an area the enemy had used as a sanctuary and transit corridor. Like the other operations of this period, New Market struck hard at the insurgents but faced the persistent problem of holding ground once cleared, given the limited forces available before the later sustained campaign. The operation was part of the steady pressure the Marines maintained on the western Euphrates valley, contesting the river towns and the routes the enemy used to move fighters and supplies into Iraq. New Market contributed to the cumulative effort that would eventually culminate in the decisive clearing of the Al Qaim district.
Record no. 768