5th Division (Iraq)
Encyclopedia
Iraqi Army
The Iraqi Army is the land component of the Iraqi military, active in various forms since being formed by the British during their mandate over the country after World War I....
, originally formed in 1959 as a mechanised division. It fought in the Iran-Iraq War
Iran-Iraq War
The Iran–Iraq War was an armed conflict between the armed forces of Iraq and Iran, lasting from September 1980 to August 1988, making it the longest conventional war of the twentieth century...
, and in the Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
(including at the Battle of Khafji
Battle of Khafji
The Battle of Khafji was the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War. It took place in and around the Saudi Arabian city of Khafji, from 29 January to 1 February 1991 and marked the culmination of the Coalition's air campaign over Kuwait and Iraq, which had begun on 17 January 1991.Iraqi...
). The 3rd Armoured and 5th Mechanised Divisions, the assault force for the Battle of Khafji, had both been retrained in 1986-87 and had participated in many of the 1988 offensives. On the night of 29–30 January 1991, three of four battalion-sized task forces of the 5th Mechanised Division had been turned back by U.S. Marine covering forces, but the fourth moved into Khafji
Khafji
Ras Al Khafji or Khafji is a town on the border between Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It lies in what was before 1970 a neutral zone between Kuwait and Saudi Arabia...
and was later destroyed there. On 30 January 1991 as the division crossed the frontier for the main attack, the 26th Armoured Brigade was trapped in a minefield and had a large amount of damage inflicted on it. The commander of the III Corps, Major General Salah Aboud Mahmoud
Salah Aboud Mahmoud
Major-General Salah Aboud Mahmoud is an Iraqi former military commander during Saddam Hussein's reign. On 29 January 1991, he was involved in battle with coalition forces to take control of the Saudi Arabian city of Khafji. Mahmoud took part in the Iran-Iraq War of 1980-88...
, called the attack off as he believed it was impossible to execute the full plan.
In 1993, following a coup attempt, Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
reportedly abolished all command posts at corps level, with the 5th Division, then reported to be at Mosul, one of the only six divisions to retain a command post. In September 1997 it was reported to be part of the 1st Corps, and be based in the Shuwan area under Staff Major General Sadoun Mahmud Sadoun. At that time it included the 15th, 20th, and 26th Mechanised Brigades. It then disintegrated during the 2003 invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
.
The reformed 5th Division’s brigade headquarters and battalions were components of the original three division New Iraqi Army. The division was certified and assume responsibility for battle space in Diyala Governorate on July 3, 2006. Since the division's reactivation elements have taken part in Operation Phantom Thunder
Operation Phantom Thunder
Operation Phantom Thunder began on June 16, 2007, when Multi-National Force-Iraq launched major offensive operations against al-Qaeda and other extremist terrorists operating throughout Iraq...
and the Battle of Baqubah
Battle of Baqubah
The Battle of Baqubah took place during the Iraq War in the capital of the Iraqi province Diyala, to the north-east of Baghdad...
in 2007.
Today it is deployed in the difficult region of Diyala is the area between Baghdad and the Iran–Iraq border, an area where some insurgent elements (the Sunnis Baathists
Baath Party
The Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party was a political party mixing Arab nationalist and Arab socialist interests, opposed to Western imperialism, and calling for the renaissance or resurrection and unification of the Arab world into a single state. Ba'ath is also spelled Ba'th or Baath and means...
Sunni Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
s and Shias of the Mahdi Army
Mahdi Army
The Mahdi Army, also known as the Mahdi Militia or Jaish al-Mahdi , was an Iraqi paramilitary force created by the Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in June 2003....
supporting Muqtada Al-Sadr
Muqtada al-Sadr
Sayyid Muqtadā al-Ṣadr is an Iraqi Islamic political leader.Along with Ali al-Sistani and Ammar al-Hakim of the Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq, Sadr is one of the most influential religious and political figures in the country not holding any official title in the Iraqi government.-Titles:He is...
, and Al Qaeda) have direct support from Iran and its Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
(Quds Force). The regions of Diyala, Salah ad-Din, Kirkuk
Kirkuk
Kirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
and south-east of Baghdad are the subject of many operations of the Iraqi Armed Forces and the Coalition, in order to dismantle the networks and interrupt Iranian support.
As of February 2010 the division's dispositions were reported as:
- Division Special Troops Battalion - Galibiyah
- 18th Motorized (AAslt) Brigade - Balad RuzBalad RuzBalad Ruz is a small village in the Diyala province of Iraq. Its mayor is Mohamed Maroof Al-Hussein.Balad Ruz has a radio station that was opened Dec. 18 2006, known as Al Noor Radio Station, also known as “The Light”....
area of operations - 19th (Desert Lions) Motorized (AAslt) Brigade (Brigade Special Troops Battalion at BaqubahBaqubahBaqubah is the capital of Iraq's Diyala Governorate.The city is located some to the northeast of Baghdad, on the Diyala River. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 467,900 people....
) - 20th Motorised Brigade - elements MuqdadiyahMuqdadiyahMuqdadiyah is a city in the Diyala Governorate of Iraq. The city is located at , about 80 km northeast of Baghdad and 30 km northeast of Baquba, the capital of Diyala...
- 21st Motorised Brigade - battalions at Diyala, Samood, Tamuuz
- 5th Field Engineer Regiment - Galibiyah
- 5th Transport and Provisioning Regiment - Kirkush
The Kirkush Military Training Base (KMTB) was one of the first installations constructed for the new Iraqi Army in January 2004.