Editing First Battle of Fallujah (section)

{{Short description|Operation of the Iraq War}}
{{Other uses|Battle of Fallujah (disambiguation)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}  
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = First Battle of Fallujah
| partof            = the [[Iraq War]] and the [[war on terror]]
| image             = [[File:Npi040604a4b.jpg|300px]]
| caption           = A U.S. Marine from the [[1st Marine Division (United States)|1st Marine Division]] mans an [[M240 machine gun|M240G machine gun]] outside the [[Fallujah]] city limits in April <!--5--> 2004.
| date              = 4 April – 1 May 2004<br />({{Age in months, weeks and days|year1=2004|month1=04|day1=04|year2=2004|month2=05|day2=01}})
| place             = [[Fallujah]], [[Coalition Provisional Authority|Iraq]]
| map_type          = Iraq
| map_size          = 290
| result            = Insurgent victory
| combatant1        = {{flag|United States}}
| combatant2        = {{flagicon image|Flag of JTJ.svg}} [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]] <br>[[File: Flag of Islamic Army In Iraq.svg|25px]] [[Islamic Army in Iraq]] <br> [[File:Flag of the Ba'ath Party.svg|22px|border]] [[Ba'ath Party]] [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–11)|loyalists]]
| commander1        = {{flagicon|United States}} [[James T. Conway]]<br />{{flagicon|United States}} [[James Mattis]]<br /> {{flagicon|United States}} [[John A. Toolan]]
| commander2        = {{flagicon image|Flag of JTJ.svg}} [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]]<br />{{flagicon image|Flag of JTJ.svg}} [[Abu Ayyub al-Masri]]
| units1            = [[I Marine Expeditionary Force]]<br />[[82nd Airborne Division]]<br />[[101st Airborne Division (United States)|101st Airborne Division]]<br />[[3d Armored Cavalry Regiment (United States)|3rd Cavalry Regiment]]<br />[[10th Mountain Division (United States)|10th Mountain Division]]<br />[[1st Infantry Division (United States)|1st Infantry Division]]<br />[[5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)|5th Special Forces Group]]<br />[[1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta|Delta Force]]<br />[[Blackwater USA]]
| units2            = [[Islamic Army in Iraq]]<br /> [[Jama'at al-Tawhid wal-Jihad]] 
| strength1         = 10,000+<ref name="autogenerated5" />
| strength2         = 3,600<ref name=autogenerated5/>
| casualties1       = 27+ killed<ref name="britannica">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/event/First-Battle-of-Fallujah|title=First Battle of Fallujah &#124; Iraq War &#124; Britannica|website=www.britannica.com|access-date=4 April 2023}}</ref><ref name="icasualties" />
| casualties2       = 184–228 killed <small>(''[[Iraq Body Count project|Iraq Body Count]]'')<ref name="IBC1">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqbodycount.net/resources/falluja/ |title=IBC Fallujah April 2004 News Digest |publisher=Iraq Body Count |access-date=19 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="IBC2">{{cite web|url=http://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/reference/press-releases/9/ |title=No Longer Unknowable: Falluja's April Civilian Toll is 600 |publisher=Iraq Body Count |date=26 October 2004 |access-date=19 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="britannica" /></small>
| casualties3       = 572–616 civilians killed <small>(''Iraq Body Count'')<ref name="IBC1"/><ref name="IBC2"/></small>
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Iraq War}}
{{Campaignbox Al Anbar campaign}}
}}
The '''First Battle of Fallujah''', code-named '''Operation Vigilant Resolve''', was an American-led operation of the [[Iraq War]] against militants in [[Fallujah]] as well as an attempt to apprehend or kill the perpetrators of the killing of four U.S. contractors in March 2004.

The chief catalyst for the operation was the highly publicized [[31 March 2004 Fallujah ambush|killing and mutilation]] of four [[Blackwater USA]] [[private military contractor]]s,<ref name="GlobalSecurity">Operation Vigilant Resolve, GlobalSecurity.org.</ref> and the killings of five American soldiers in [[Habbaniyah]] a few days earlier.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/press/kit/OIFII.asp?http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/press/kit/OIFII.asp |title=Official Website for Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton – The Scout Newspaper |publisher=Cpp.usmc.mil |access-date=19 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080120004930/http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/press/kit/OIFII.asp?http://www.cpp.usmc.mil/press/kit/OIFII.asp |archive-date=20 January 2008}}</ref>

The battle, and especially the images of Iraqi civilians killed or injured in the fighting, caused many Iraqis to become resentful of the US presence. Western journalists found that even some Iraqis who previously supported the US invasion, and welcomed American state-building efforts, became increasingly alienated and skeptical of such promises.<ref>[[Christian Science Monitor]], [http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/0415/p01s02-woiq.htm Siege of Fallujah polarizing Iraqis], 15 April 2004</ref>