Baqubah
Encyclopedia
Baqubah is the capital of Iraq
's Diyala Governorate.
The city is located some 50 km (31.1 mi) to the northeast of Baghdad
, on the Diyala River
. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 467,900 people.
Baqubah served as a way station
between Baghdad and Khorasan
on the medieval Silk Road
. During the Abbasid
caliphate, it was known for its date and fruit orchards. Situated on the main road and rail routes between Baghdad and Iran it is a centre of trade for agricultural produce. It is now known as the centre of Iraq's commercial orange groves.
Christian refugees fled to Baqubah during World War I, fleeing the Assyrian Genocide
.
A refugee camp was set up outside the city, which accommodated between 40,000 and 50,000 refugees.
, Ramadi
, and Samarra
. It was the site of the heaviest fighting during the June 24, 2004, insurgent offensive. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
, took responsibility for the attacks.
In a setback for insurgents, Iraqi and U.S. officials confirmed on June 8, 2006, that al-Zarqawi had been killed in an airstrike and subsequent raid 8 km (5 mi) north of Baquba. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5058304.stm
During late 2006, however, Baqubah and much of Diyala province were reported to have come under Sunni insurgent control. http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/12/reporting_under.html#posts On January 3, 2007 the previous Iraqi government in Baquba was reported to have fallen, leaving the city in the hands of insurgents fighting against the American led coalition in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In January 2007, it was reported http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2183852.ece that Sunni insurgents were able to kidnap the mayor and blow up his office, despite promises from American and Iraqi military officials that the situation in the city was "reassuring and under control". The city at its peak had over 460,000 residents, but a February 2007 report labeled the city a "ghost town" as residents either fled criminal and sectarian violence or remained in hiding at home. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/15/btsc.damon.baquba/index.html
Much of the fighting that took place between the 17th and 19 June could be characterized by lightly armed squad-sized or smaller enemy elements conducting uncoordinated frontal assaults on American strong-points and heavy armored vehicles. The enemy primarily attacked the western side of the American position. Occasional 60mm mortar fire was directed on American forces by insurgent forces, however the affect of the fire was negligible and only served to be harassing as it wasn’t coordinated in any fashion with other enemy assaults.
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
's Diyala Governorate.
The city is located some 50 km (31.1 mi) to the northeast of Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
, on the Diyala River
Diyala River
The Diyala River after Darban-e Khan Dam:Kurdish: Sirwan, سيروان, , Persian: سیروان دیاله, is a river and tributary of the Tigris that runs mainly through Eastern Iraq but also Western Iran. It covers a total distance of ....
. In 2003 it had an estimated population of some 467,900 people.
Baqubah served as a way station
Way station
Way station may be:*Way Station a 1963 science fiction novel by Clifford D. Simak*The Way Station - chapter 2 of The Dark Tower I – The Gunslinger by Stephen King.*Waystation Studio-See also:*mansio *Station *stopover...
between Baghdad and Khorasan
Greater Khorasan
Greater Khorasan or Ancient Khorasan is a historical region of Greater Iran mentioned in sources from Sassanid and Islamic eras which "frequently" had a denotation wider than current three provinces of Khorasan in Iran...
on the medieval Silk Road
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
. During the Abbasid
Abbasid
The Abbasid Caliphate or, more simply, the Abbasids , was the third of the Islamic caliphates. It was ruled by the Abbasid dynasty of caliphs, who built their capital in Baghdad after overthrowing the Umayyad caliphate from all but the al-Andalus region....
caliphate, it was known for its date and fruit orchards. Situated on the main road and rail routes between Baghdad and Iran it is a centre of trade for agricultural produce. It is now known as the centre of Iraq's commercial orange groves.
History
Many AssyrianAssyrian people
The Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
Christian refugees fled to Baqubah during World War I, fleeing the Assyrian Genocide
Assyrian genocide
The Assyrian Genocide refers to the mass slaughter of the Assyrian/Chaldean/Syriac population of the Ottoman Empire during the 1890s, the First World War, and the period of 1922-1925...
.
A refugee camp was set up outside the city, which accommodated between 40,000 and 50,000 refugees.
Recent history
During the course of the U.S.-led occupation of Iraq, Baquba emerged as the scene of some of the heaviest guerrilla activity, along with the Sunni enclaves of FallujahFallujah
Fallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
, Ramadi
Ramadi
Ramadi is a city in central Iraq, about west of Baghdad. It is the capital of Al Anbar Governorate.-History:Ramadi is located in a fertile, irrigated, alluvial plain.The Ottoman Empire founded Ramadi in 1869...
, and Samarra
Samarra
Sāmarrā is a city in Iraq. It stands on the east bank of the Tigris in the Salah ad-Din Governorate, north of Baghdad and, in 2003, had an estimated population of 348,700....
. It was the site of the heaviest fighting during the June 24, 2004, insurgent offensive. Al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
, took responsibility for the attacks.
In a setback for insurgents, Iraqi and U.S. officials confirmed on June 8, 2006, that al-Zarqawi had been killed in an airstrike and subsequent raid 8 km (5 mi) north of Baquba. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/5058304.stm
During late 2006, however, Baqubah and much of Diyala province were reported to have come under Sunni insurgent control. http://onthescene.msnbc.com/baghdad/2006/12/reporting_under.html#posts On January 3, 2007 the previous Iraqi government in Baquba was reported to have fallen, leaving the city in the hands of insurgents fighting against the American led coalition in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
In January 2007, it was reported http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article2183852.ece that Sunni insurgents were able to kidnap the mayor and blow up his office, despite promises from American and Iraqi military officials that the situation in the city was "reassuring and under control". The city at its peak had over 460,000 residents, but a February 2007 report labeled the city a "ghost town" as residents either fled criminal and sectarian violence or remained in hiding at home. http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/15/btsc.damon.baquba/index.html
Attacks during US occupation
The following is a list of deadly attacks in the city including the death of al-Zarqawi and after.- April 8–13, 2004 Mahdi Militia attempt to over take the city. American tanksM1 AbramsThe M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
and BradleysM2 BradleyThe Bradley Fighting Vehicle is an American fighting vehicle platform manufactured by BAE Systems Land and Armaments, formerly United Defense.As with other infantry fighting vehicles, the Bradley is designed to transport infantry with armor protection while providing covering fire to suppress enemy...
patrol the streets and Artillery and Air Force bombs dropped inside the city limits.
- June 17–19, 2004 an insurgent element estimated to be roughly 200 personnel strong attempts to disrupt American control of a suburb of Baqubah called Burhiz located approximately 3–5 miles south of Baqubah on the cities eastern side. Elements from 3 BDE / 1 ID including (but not limited to) 2nd and 4th Platoon / A Co / TF 2-2 IN / 3 BDE / 1 ID, 3rd platoon A Co TF 2-63 AR / 3 BDE / 1 ID and TF 1-6 FA / 3 BDE / 1 ID engage enemy forces for approximately three days straight. Fighting peaked during the daylight hours and tapered off to a stop during nighttime. On the second day of fighting (18 June 2004) an element consisting of 2nd Platoon / A Co / TF 2-2 IN / 3 BDE / 1 ID, 3rd Platoon / A Co / TF 2-63 AR / 3 BDE / 1 ID, and TF 1-6 FA / 3 BDE / 1 ID are credited with killing 26 enemy combatants. The commander of 3 BDE / 1 ID, COL Dana J. H. Pittard alerted the governor of Diyala province that if fighting continued a fourth day (on the 20th of June 2004) that a Brigade-sized operation would be conducted to clear the suburb of Burhiz in a house-to-house fashion (similar in execution but smaller in scope to the later conducted Operation Phantom Fury in which Falujah was cleared of enemy personnel in November 2004). Respective units were alerted and a final draft of the operation had been disseminated to all participants when the fighting stopped.
Much of the fighting that took place between the 17th and 19 June could be characterized by lightly armed squad-sized or smaller enemy elements conducting uncoordinated frontal assaults on American strong-points and heavy armored vehicles. The enemy primarily attacked the western side of the American position. Occasional 60mm mortar fire was directed on American forces by insurgent forces, however the affect of the fire was negligible and only served to be harassing as it wasn’t coordinated in any fashion with other enemy assaults.
- June 24, 2004 Insurgents establish a series of blocking positions and strong points along the major routes of travel through the city prior to 0500 local time. An American Mechanized Infantry Platoon consisting of four Bradley Fighting Vehicles (BFV) and its complement of dismounted Infantry conducting a routine patrol just before sunrise comes under direct while passing the first identified enemy position located in the northwest corner of the city. The platoon pushes through the fire and continues south, reaches a second enemy strong point identified vicinity the civic center adjacent to the Mufrak traffic circle where it is fired on again. The platoon continued east towards the bridge spanning the Diyala river located roughly in the center of the city. Upon reaching the eastern side of the city, the platoon comes under fire again from a third enemy strong point located vicinity the stadium and university campus located on the far eastern side of the city. The patrol, after passing through this position, reaches American operated Forward Operating Base (FOB) Gabe. Shortly thereafter, a second patrol launched from FOB Warhorse (located a few miles to the northwest of Baqubah) is launched to assess the viability of the enemy positions. This unit (4th platoon / A Company / TF 2-2 / 3 BDE / 1 ID) led by 1LT Gregory followed the same route as the first patrol that passed through the city and was attacked at the same locations. In response to the operating in semi-permanent defensive positions, the city was effectively divided into two sectors with the Diyala river serving as the dividing point. TF 2-63 AR / 3 BDE / 1 ID was given responsibility to clear enemy personnel on the western side of the city and TF 1-6 FA / 3 BDE / 1 ID was given responsibility to clear the eastern side of the city. Each of the respective battalions launched a company-sized element into their respective sectors. TF 1-6 FA, primarily operating with HMMWVs, received attachments from TF 2-2 IN / 3 BDE / 1 ID and TF 2-63 AR / 3 BDE / 1 ID in the form of a BFV platoon and a Tank Platoon. Prior to 0800 local time two 500 poundPound (mass)The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
bombs were dropped on readily identified enemy positions by the airforce. One bomb was dropped on the stadium located in the eastern side of the city and a second bomb was dropped directly south across the street on an enemy position that was identified in vicinity of a university campus located there. It is believed that a third bomb may have been dropped vicinity of the civic center located on the eastern side of the Mufrak traffic circle. Fighting peaked at about 0900-1000 local time and all skirmishes were over before sunset that evening. A large amount of drug paraphernalia and enemy weapons was recovered at the enemy strong points.
- Nov 15, 2004 While US and coalition forces battle insurgents in FallujahFallujahFallujah is a city in the Iraqi province of Al Anbar, located roughly west of Baghdad on the Euphrates. Fallujah dates from Babylonian times and was host to important Jewish academies for many centuries....
, small cells of insurgents take advantage of the situation and conduct coordinated attacks throughout and around the city after the RamadanRamadanRamadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
holiday, taking over the Buhriz and Muffrek Police stations and resulting in the dropping of two 500 pound bombs by the US Air Force. Early in the morning, just after sunrise, enemy personnel attempted to destroy one of the two major bridges crossing the Diyala River. On the northern-most bridge bombs were placed on the second and fourth "stringers" supporting the span and detonated. An insufficient amount of explosives was detonated on the bridge and the bridge remained standing (although weakened). Within the matter of a day or two US Army Engineers completed a temporary patch on the bridge which allowed the bridge to safely support the weight of American tanks on its span. Immediately following the blast, American forces were spun up and swept the city, fearing that this was a smaller part of a larger enemy operation attempting to canalize American forces through possible enemy strongpoints in the city center. Such an enemy operation never materialized.
- June 7, 2006: A U.S. airstrike kills Abu Musab al-ZarqawiAbu Musab al-ZarqawiAbu Musab al-Zarqawi ; October 30, 1966 – June 7, 2006), born Ahmad Fadeel al-Nazal al-Khalayleh was a Jordanian militant Islamist who ran a paramilitary training camp in Afghanistan...
, the former leader of Al-Qaeda in IraqAl-Qaeda in IraqAl-Qaeda in Iraq is a popular name for the Iraqi division of the international Salafi jihadi militant organization al-Qaeda. It is recognized as a part of the greater Iraqi insurgency....
, near Baqubah, northeast of Baghdad.
- June 26, 2006: At least 25 people are killed in a bicycle bombBicycle bombA bicycle bomb is an improvised explosive device that is placed on a bicycle.-History:The first two wheel bomb would be the horse-drawn vehicle used for the Wall Street bombing in 1920 in New York City...
ing in the city, according to police.
- Oct. 3, 2006: In a string of deadly attacks, gunmen open fire on a Shia family fleeing the city, killing five of them. Ten others are killed in shooting and bombing incidents, and 10 bodies are found in the city, the apparent victims of sectarian slayings.
- Oct. 26, 2006: Insurgents ambush a police unit, killing 24 policemen and one civilian. Eight insurgents are killed in subsequent fighting with police and U.S. troops, the military says.
- Nov. 12, 2006: Fifty bodies are found dumped behind the offices of the provincial electric company, according to the Iraqi army's provincial public affairs office.
- Nov. 29, 2006: Fighting between police and insurgents after an attack on Baqubah's police headquarters shuts down the city, closing the university, schools and most stores, and clearing the streets of everyone, except a few who scurry about to stock up on food. At least 55 militants are killed in clashes in the preceding days, according to anonymous police sources.
- Nov. 30, 2006: The U.S. military says Iraqi forces find 28 bodies in a mass graveMass graveA mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
south of Baqubah, following days of heavy fighting that killed scores of people in and around the city.
- Dec. 2, 2006: U.S. and Iraqi forces begin an offensive in the city in response to fighting that raged for a week between Sunni insurgents and police. Ahmed Fuad, a senior morgue official, said the morgue received 102 bodies in the previous two weeks.
- Dec. 3, 2006: Some 16 bodies — apparent victims of sectarian death squads — are found.
- Dec. 29, 2006: Ten bodies showing signs of tortureTortureTorture is the act of inflicting severe pain as a means of punishment, revenge, forcing information or a confession, or simply as an act of cruelty. Throughout history, torture has often been used as a method of political re-education, interrogation, punishment, and coercion...
are found dumped on the streets of the city, police and morgue officials say.
- June 22, 2008: A female suicide bomber detonated a powerful explosive device outside a government outpost and courthouse. 15 were killed in the blast.
- July 15, 2008: Two suicide bombers target army recruits, killing 35 and injuring 50. See: 15 July 2008 Baquba bombings15 July 2008 Baquba bombingsThe 15 July 2008 Baquba bombings occurred at around 8am local time on 15 July 2008, in Baquba, Diyala Governorate, targeting army recruits at the al-Saad army camp...
- October 8, 2008: A female suicide bomber detonates at the central court house, killing nine (including 5 Iraqi Soldiers) and wounding 17.
- October 16, 2008: A mortar attack occurred. Three rockets fired into FOB (Forward operating baseForward Operating BaseA forward operating base is any secured forward military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOBs are traditionally supported...
) Warhorse from nearby Baqubah kill 2 US Army soldiers, PFC Cody J. Eggleston, and PFC Heath K. Pickard. Both were awarded the Alaska Decoration of Honor. They both were assigned to 1st Platoon, C-CO, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment5th Infantry Regiment (United States)The 5th Infantry Regiment is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the United States Army, tracing its origins to 1808...
, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort WainwrightFort WainwrightFort Wainwright is a United States Army post adjacent to Fairbanks in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is part of the Fairbanks, Alaska Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, AlaskaAlaskaAlaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
- March 3, 2010: Suicide attacks killed at least 31 people and injured dozens more in three separate suicide bombings. The third explosion attacked the city's main hospital, where the victims of the first two attacks were being treated.
Operation Arrowhead Ripper
On June 19, 2007, U.S. forces launched a large-scale operation against Iraqi militants in Baquba. The offensive, Operation Arrowhead Ripper, involved approximately 10,000 coalition soldiers.See also
- List of places in Iraq
- 2004 Baqubah bombing
- Al Ba'quba StadiumAl Ba'quba StadiumAl Ba'quba Stadium, is a multi-use stadium in Diyala, Iraq. It is currently used mostly for football matches and serves as the home stadium of Diyala football club. The stadium holds 10,000 people....
- EshnunnaEshnunnaEshnunna was an ancient Sumerian city and city-state in central Mesopotamia. Although situated in the Diyala Valley north-east of Sumer proper, the city nonetheless belonged securely within the Sumerian cultural milieu.The tutelary deity of the city was Tishpak .- History :Occupied from the Jemdet...