2008 Iraq spring fighting

2008 Iraq spring fighting
	Part of the Iraqi civil war (2006–2008) (Iraq War)
	; Major flashpoints of the fighting
Date	25 March – 15 May 2008; (1 month, 2 weeks and 6 days)
Location	Iraq
Result	Military stalemate, political Mahdi Army victory Mahdi army militants granted immunity; Iraqi forces gain control of Sadr City; Iraqi forces launch further offensives to fully recapture the cities of Karbala, Najaf, Kut, Amarah, and Diwaniyah and the areas surrounding them; End of the Iraqi civil war (2006–2008);
Belligerents
Iraqi Army; United States; United Kingdom; Awakening Councils; Badr Brigades	Mahdi Army; Special Groups; Fadhila Militia
Commanders and leaders
Nouri al-Maliki; Mohan al-Furayji; David Petraeus; Hadi al-Amiri	Muqtada al-Sadr; Akran Hasnawi †; Akram al-Kabi[citation needed]
Strength
400,000	60,000
Casualties and losses
35 killed ; 191 security forces killed; 1 militiaman killed ; 4 Islamic Dawa Party members killed; 2,100 deserted, defected or captured	700 killed (US Claim); 2,000+ killed (Iraqi claim)
	1,112 Iraqi civilians killed,; 2 U.S. and 2 Indian civilians killed

The 2008 Iraq spring fighting was a series of clashes between the Mahdi Army and allies and the Iraqi Army supported by coalition forces, in southern Iraq and parts of Baghdad, that began with an Iraqi offensive in Basra.

^ Kamber, Michael; Glanz, James (26 March 2008). "Iraqi Crackdown on Shiite Forces Sets Off Fighting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
^ "Cease-fire reached in Baghdad's Sadr City – CNN.com". CNN. 11 May 2008. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
^ Period Details Archived 23 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ Period Details Archived 1 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ Period Details Archived 5 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
^ Levinson, Charles (11 April 2008). "Sunnis form militias to counter those of Shiites". USA Today. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
^ "'Turncoat' Basra police pursued". BBC News. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
^ New York Times Operation in Sadr City Is an Iraqi Success, So Far
^ Mahdi Army 'going underground' Archived 26 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine – Iraq Updates
^ Roggio, Bill (26 June 2008). "Mahdi Army decimated during recent fighting". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008. More than 1,000 Mahdi Army fighters were killed in Sadr City alone, according to a Mahdi Army commander in Baghdad. Another 415 were killed in Basrah. More than 400 were killed during fighting in the southern cities of Najaf, Karbala, Hillah, Diwaniyah, Amarah, Samawah, and Nasiriyah in late March and early April, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal.

[1] Kamber, Michael; Glanz, James (26 March 2008). "Iraqi Crackdown on Shiite Forces Sets Off Fighting". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 12 May 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2017.

[2] "Cease-fire reached in Baghdad's Sadr City – CNN.com". CNN. 11 May 2008. Archived from the original on 22 May 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2010.

[3] Period Details Archived 23 March 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[4] Period Details Archived 1 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[5] Period Details Archived 5 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine

[6] Levinson, Charles (11 April 2008). "Sunnis form militias to counter those of Shiites". USA Today. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008. Retrieved 5 May 2010.

[7] "'Turncoat' Basra police pursued". BBC News. 8 April 2008. Archived from the original on 14 November 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2010.

[8] New York Times Operation in Sadr City Is an Iraqi Success, So Far

[9] Mahdi Army 'going underground' Archived 26 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine – Iraq Updates

[10] Roggio, Bill (26 June 2008). "Mahdi Army decimated during recent fighting". Long War Journal. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2008. More than 1,000 Mahdi Army fighters were killed in Sadr City alone, according to a Mahdi Army commander in Baghdad. Another 415 were killed in Basrah. More than 400 were killed during fighting in the southern cities of Najaf, Karbala, Hillah, Diwaniyah, Amarah, Samawah, and Nasiriyah in late March and early April, according to numbers compiled by The Long War Journal.

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