Liberation of Kuwait campaign

Liberation of Kuwait
Part of the Gulf War
Two abandoned Iraqi tanks near Kuwait City (26 February 1991)
Date 24–28 February 1991 Location Kuwait, Iraq, and the Persian Gulf Result Coalition victory Kuwaiti oil fires Territorial changes Restoration of Kuwaiti sovereignty Renunciation of the "Saddamiyat al-Mitla' District" and the "Kuwait Governorate" by Iraq
Belligerents
United States  United Kingdom  Canada  Kuwait (in exile)  Saudi Arabia  Egypt  Syria  Bangladesh[1]	Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Norman Schwarzkopf Jr.  Colin Powell  Peter de la Billière  Khalid bin Sultan al-Saud  Hussain Muhammad Ershad	Saddam Hussein  Ali Hassan al-Majid
Strength
650,000	500,000
Casualties and losses
1,155 casualties 70 captured	20,000–35,000 casualties 150,000 captured

The Liberation of Kuwait campaign was led by the United States between 24 and 28 February 1991, consisting of a major ground offensive into Iraqi-occupied Kuwait following the successful Gulf War air campaign. Approximately 650,000 troops of the American-led 42-country coalition swept into Kuwait to find the bulk of the 500,000 Iraqi troops surrendering en masse, but there were still pockets of resistance in some parts of the country. A particularly fierce battle took place at Kuwait International Airport, where Iraqi troops, seemingly unaware that a retreat order had been issued to them, continued to fight against the coalition's advance. By the end of February, Kuwait was declared free of the Iraqi occupation. The coalition then proceeded to push into Iraq, where the majority of the fighting occurred.^[2] Shortly thereafter, combat operations ceased and the Gulf War was brought to a close.