Iraqi insurgency (2011–2017)

Iraqi insurgency (2011–2017)
Conflict	Iraqi insurgency (2011–2017)
Date	1 January 2011 – 9 December 2017
Place	Iraq, Anbar Governorate, Nineveh Governorate, Salahuddin Governorate, Kirkuk Governorate, Karbala Governorate
Combatant1	Iraqi Armed Forces, Popular Mobilization Forces, Peshmerga, Kurdistan Regional Government
Combatant2	Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Ansar al-Islam, Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna
Commander1	Nouri al-Maliki, Haider al-Abadi, Fuad Masum, Barham Salih
Commander2	Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Haji Bakr, Omar al-Shishani
Casualties1	Tens of thousands killed, wounded, captured
Casualties2	Tens of thousands killed, captured
Casualties3	Civilian casualties in the hundreds of thousands; millions displaced

Iraqi insurgency (2011–2017) was the renewed violent campaign across Iraq following the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces in 2011, culminating in the rise and territorial peak of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and a multi-sided counteroffensive that ended major territorial Islamist control by 2017. The period saw intense fighting in Mosul, Fallujah, Ramadi and regions contested by Iraqi Kurdistan actors, producing a complex interplay among local militias, Arab nationalist groups, transnational jihadist networks and regional powers.

Background

After the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent Iraq War (2003–2011), the drawdown of United States military intervention formalized by the U.S.–Iraq Status of Forces Agreement and the withdrawal in December 2011 created a security vacuum exploited by remnants of Al-Qaeda in Iraq and affiliated cells. Political disputes involving leaders such as Nouri al-Maliki and institutions including the Iraqi Parliament aggravated sectarian grievances that groups like Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant and Ansar al-Islam mobilized. Regional dynamics involving Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria and Jordan influenced militia proliferation, while Kurdish authorities led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan expanded territorial control in disputed areas.

Timeline of major operations and battles

The period opened with insurgent attacks in 2011–2012 and escalated into the 2013–2014 offensive, including the Northern Iraq offensive (2014)],] when ISIL captured Mosul and declared a caliphate in Raqqa. Major engagements included the Siege of Fallujah (2016), the Battle of Ramadi (2015–2016), the Second Battle of Tikrit (2015), the Battle of Ramadi (2014–2015), the Battle of Baiji (2014–2015), and the protracted Battle of Mosul (2016–2017). Counteroffensives led by Haider al-Abadi's coalition forces, backed by the International Coalition against ISIL and supported by United States Central Command, the Syrian Democratic Forces in cross-border contexts, and Iranian-backed Popular Mobilization Forces produced successive liberation campaigns culminating in the 2017 recapture of Mosul and the 2017 Battle of Tal Afar.

Key actors and organization

Insurgent and jihadist organizations included Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, remnants of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, Ansar al-Islam, Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna, and various tribal insurgents in Anbar Governorate. State and non-state pro-government actors included the Iraqi Armed Forces, the Popular Mobilization Forces (with component groups such as Badr Organization, Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, Kata'ib Hezbollah), the Peshmerga forces of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and international participants such as the United States Armed Forces, United Kingdom Armed Forces, French Armed Forces, Russian Armed Forces, and elements of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Regional intelligence and proxy networks involving figures like Qasem Soleimani played strategic roles, while jihadist leadership figures such as Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and planners like Haji Bakr structured ISIL command and control.

Tactics, weapons and funding

Insurgent tactics combined urban warfare, suicide bombings, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), car bombs, suicide vehicle-borne IEDs (SVBIEDs), targeted assassinations, and coordinated assaults on cities and energy infrastructure. Weapons and equipment captured from Iraqi Army depots included T-55, T-72 tanks, BTR armored vehicles, small arms such as AK-47, PK machine gun, and anti-aircraft guns repurposed for ground combat. ISIL developed financial mechanisms through oil smuggling in areas like Al-Anbar, taxation and extortion in captured cities, looting of antiquities in Mosul Museum, and external donations facilitated via networks across Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Foreign fighters flowed through transit nodes in Syria and Lebanon, while drone use and tactical mortar employment evolved during sieges like Fallujah and Mosul.

Humanitarian impact and casualties

The insurgency caused massive humanitarian crises: estimated civilian deaths numbered in the tens to hundreds of thousands, with millions internally displaced and millions more seeking refuge in neighboring countries such as Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey. Urban destruction in Mosul, Ramadi, Fallujah and Falluja led to widespread housing collapse, damage to Mosul University, Al-Nuri Mosque destruction, and severe disruptions to health facilities including Al-Jumhouri Hospital. Cultural heritage losses included damage to Hatra, Nimrud, and artifacts trafficked through illicit antiquities markets. Human rights organizations documented mass executions, forced displacement, sexual violence, and use of child soldiers by groups like ISIL; post-conflict challenges involved demining, reconstruction, and reconciliation efforts led by international agencies including United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

International and regional involvement

The conflict drew direct intervention from the United States, which led the International Coalition against ISIL providing airpower, advisors, and materiel; the United Kingdom and France conducted strikes and training missions. Iran projected influence through the Quds Force and support for Shia militias such as the Badr Organization and Kata'ib Hezbollah, while Saudi Arabia and Turkey engaged through diplomatic, intelligence and limited military measures. Cross-border dynamics with the Syrian Civil War, including involvement by the Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian Arab Army, complicated operations. Multilateral diplomacy involving the United Nations Security Council and bilateral agreements shaped arms flows, sanctions, and post-conflict stabilization initiatives.

Category:Conflicts in 2011 Category:Conflicts in 2012 Category:Conflicts in 2013 Category:Conflicts in 2014 Category:Conflicts in 2015 Category:Conflicts in 2016 Category:Conflicts in 2017