2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq

2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq
Part of Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)
Date 15 April 2008 – 19 May 2008 Location Iraq Result Indecisive
Belligerents
United States Army New Iraqi Army	Islamic State of Iraq
Commanders and leaders
Gen. David Petraeus	Ayyub al-Masri
Strength
Coalition 177,000 Contractors 182,000[1][2] Iraqi Security Forces 407,000 (180,000 Army and 227,000 Police)[3] Awakening Council militias 65,000-80,000[4]	850[5] – 1,000+[6]
Casualties and losses
100+ soldiers, policemen and militiamen killed	Dozens of fighters and suicide bombers killed
250+ civilians killed

The 2008 al-Qaeda offensive in Iraq was a month-long offensive conducted by al-Qaeda in Iraq against the multinational coalition of USA, UK, Australia and Poland.^[7]

On 19 April 2008, the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, Ayyub al-Masri, called for a month-long offensive against U.S. and Iraqi forces. However, the offensive is generally considered^{[citation needed]} to have started four days earlier, when a series of suicide bombings in four major cities killed nearly 60 people.

Shortly after al-Masri's announcement a steady bombing campaign commenced against coalition forces. The series of bombings raised fears that remaining Sunni insurgents, who were still fighting the central government, were regrouping following their major defeat during Operation Phantom Phoenix earlier that year, that left them with only one major urban stronghold in the north, in Mosul.

The offensive ended after a month with no clear gains for either side.