Editing Second Battle of Fallujah (section)

{{Short description|2004 battle of the Iraq War}}
{{other uses|Battle of Fallujah (disambiguation)}}
{{Redirect|Phantom Fury|the video game|Phantom Fury (video game)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
<!-- list Al-Fajr first: first reference document below uses that term -->
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Second Battle of Fallujah
| partof            = the [[Iraq War]] and the [[war on terror]]
| image             = 4-14 Marines in Fallujah.jpg
| image_size        = 300
| caption           = [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marines]] from Mike Battery, [[4th Battalion, 14th Marines]], firing an [[M198 howitzer]] from [[Camp Fallujah]] (November 2004)
| date              = 7 November – 23 December 2004<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Operation-Phantom-Fury-Assault-Fallujah/dp/B00AK39ZZI |title=Operation Phantom Fury: The Assault and Capture of Fallujah, Iraq |via=Amazon |date=4 December 2009 |publisher=Zenith Press |access-date=4 December 2009}}</ref><ref>[[#Tucker|Tucker (2014)]], pp.&nbsp;303</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.army.mil/article/178601/november_2004_into_the_hot_zone_at_the_second_battle_of_fallujah|title=November, 2004 - Into the hot zone at the Second Battle of Fallujah|website=Army.mil|date=7 June 2019 |access-date=February 13, 2022}}</ref><br />({{Age in months, weeks and days|year1=2004|month1=11|day1=07|year2=2004|month2=12|day2=23}})
| place             = [[Fallujah]], [[Al Anbar Governorate|Anbar Governorate]], Iraq
| coordinates       = {{Coord|33|21|N|43|47|E|type:landmark_source:dewiki|display=title,inline}}
| result            = Coalition victory
| combatant1        = {{flag|United States}}<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Iraq (2004–2008).svg}} [[Iraqi Interim Government|Iraq]]<br/>{{flag|United Kingdom}}
| combatant2        = {{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq (2004–2005).svg}} [[Al-Qaeda in Iraq]]<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Islamic Army In Iraq.svg}} [[Islamic Army in Iraq]]<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Jama'at Ansar al-Sunnah.svg}} [[Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna|Ansar al-Sunnah]]<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} [[1920 Revolution Brigades]]
| commander1        = {{flagdeco|United States}} [[Keith J. Stalder]]<br/>{{flagdeco|United States}} [[Richard F. Natonski]]<ref name="USARMYREPORTVOL1">{{cite book |last1=Rayburn |first1=Joel D. |last2=Sobchak |first2=Frank K. |last3=Godfroy |first3=Jeanne F. |last4=Morton |first4=Matthew D. |last5=Powell |first5=James S. |last6=Zais |first6=Matthew M. |title=The U.S. Army in the Iraq War – Volume 1, Invasion, Insurgency, Civil War, 2003–2006 |date=January 2019 |publisher=UNITED STATES ARMY WAR COLLEGE PRESS |page=346 |url=http://publications.armywarcollege.edu/pubs/3667.pdf |access-date=31 January 2019}}</ref><br/>{{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} [[James Cowan (British Army officer)|James Cowan]] <br />
| commander2        = {{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} [[Abu Musab al-Zarqawi]]<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} Omar Husayn Hadid al-Muhammadi{{KIA}} (November 2004) <br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} Abdullah Shaddad{{KIA}}<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} [[Abdullah al-Janabi]]<br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of al-Qaeda in Iraq.svg}} [[Abu Ayyub al-Masri]]
| strength1         = {{flagdeco|United States}} 10,500<ref name="Ricks 2007 399">{{cite book |title=Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq |last=Ricks |first=Thomas E. |author-link=Thomas E. Ricks (journalist) |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2007 |page=[https://archive.org/details/fiascoamericanmi0000rick/page/399 399] |isbn=978-0-14-303891-7 |location=United States |url=https://archive.org/details/fiascoamericanmi0000rick/page/399 }}</ref><br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Iraq (2004–2008).svg}} 2,000<ref name="Ricks 2007 399"/><br/>{{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} 850<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/black-watch-ordered-to-join-us-cordon-for-assault-on-fallujah-544600.html |work=The Independent |location=London |title=Black Watch ordered to join US cordon for assault on Fallujah |date=22 October 2004 |access-date=23 May 2010}}</ref>
| strength2         = ≈3,700–4,000<ref name="globalsecurity.org">{{cite web|author=John Pike |url=http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/oif-phantom-fury-fallujah.htm |title=Operation al-Fajr (Dawn) / Phantom Fury Fallujah, Iraq|publisher=Globalsecurity.org |access-date=19 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="Karon">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,768590,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041111011053/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,768590,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 November 2004 |magazine=Time |title=The Grim Calculations of Retaking Fallujah |date=8 November 2004 |access-date=8 July 2011 |first=Tony |last=Karon}}</ref>
| casualties1       = {{flagdeco|United States}} 95 killed, 560 wounded<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160303192226/http://www.wusa9.com/printfullstory.aspx?storyid=53582]</ref> (54 killed, 425 wounded from 7–16 November)<ref name="Ricks 2007 400">{{cite book |title=Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq |last=Ricks |first=Thomas E. |author-link=Thomas E. Ricks (journalist) |publisher=Penguin Books |year=2007 |page=[https://archive.org/details/fiascoamericanmi0000rick/page/400 400] |isbn=978-0-14-303891-7 |location=United States |url=https://archive.org/details/fiascoamericanmi0000rick/page/400}}</ref><br/>{{flagicon image|Flag of Iraq (2004–2008).svg}} 8 killed, 43 wounded<ref name="Ricks 2007 400"/><ref name="Mikaberidze 2011 304"/><br/>{{flagdeco|United Kingdom}} 4 killed, 10 wounded<ref name="Dead Black Watch soldiers named">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3984575.stm |title=Dead Black Watch soldiers named |work=BBC News |date=5 November 2004 |access-date=19 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="The Independent">{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/black-watch-pays-price-for-backing-fallujah-offensive-750296.html |title=Black Watch pays price for backing Fallujah offensive |work=The Independent |date=9 November 2004 |access-date=1 July 2011 |location=London |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20081205173405/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/black-watch-pays-price-for-backing-fallujah-offensive-750296.html |archive-date=5 December 2008}}</ref>
| casualties2       = 1,200–2,000 killed<ref name="From Fallujah to Qaim">{{cite web|url=http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GE13Ak03.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060116191455/http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/GE13Ak03.html |url-status=unfit |archive-date=16 January 2006 |title=From Fallujah to Qaim |work=Asia Times |date=13 May 2005 |access-date=8 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="Mikaberidze 2011 304" /><br/>1,500 captured<ref name="From Fallujah to Qaim" />
| casualties3       = '''Civilian casualties:'''<br/>581–670 killed ([[Iraq Body Count project|Iraq Body Count]])<ref name="ibcfallujah">{{Cite web|url=https://www.iraqbodycount.org/analysis/beyond/besieged_fallujah/|title=Besieged: Living and Dying in Fallujah :: Iraq Body Count|website=Iraqbodycount.org|access-date=13 February 2022}}</ref><br/>800 killed ([[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|Red Cross]])<ref name="auto">{{cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1967340_1967350_1967530,00.html|title=November 2004: Fight in Fallujah – Seven Years in Iraq: An Iraq War Timeline|last=Singal|first=Jesse |author2= Jesse Singal, Christine Lim and M.J. Stephey|date=19 March 2010|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|access-date=5 January 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230601133314/https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1967340_1967350_1967530,00.html|archive-date=June 1, 2023}}</ref>
| campaignbox       = {{Campaignbox Iraq War}}
{{Campaignbox Al Anbar campaign}}
}}

The '''Second Battle of Fallujah''', initially codenamed '''Operation Phantom Fury''', '''Operation al-Fajr''' ({{langx|ar|الفجر}}, {{Lit|The Dawn}}) was an American-led offensive of the [[Iraq War]] that began on 7 November 2004 and lasted about six weeks. 

A joint military effort of the [[United States]], the [[Iraqi Interim Government]], and the [[United Kingdom]], the battle was the war's first major engagement fought solely against the [[Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011)|Iraqi insurgency]], not the military forces of the [[Ba'athist Iraq]] government. 

Operation Phantom Fury took place seven months after the [[First Battle of Fallujah]], an attempt to capture or kill insurgent elements involved in the [[2004 Fallujah ambush]] that killed four employees of the private military contractor [[Blackwater (company)|Blackwater]]. After that battle, control of the city was transferred to an Iraqi-run local security force, which began stockpiling weapons and building complex defenses.<ref name="ricks2">Ricks, (2007) pp. 343–346.</ref> 

Led by the [[United States Marine Corps|U.S. Marine Corps]] and [[United States Army|U.S. Army]], the Second Battle of Fallujah was later described as "some of the heaviest [[urban warfare|urban combat]] Marines and Soldiers have been involved in since [[Battle of Huế|Huế City]] in [[Vietnam War|Vietnam]] in 1968"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Garamone |first=Jim |date=2006-03-05 |title=DefenseLINK News: ScanEagle Proves Worth in Fallujah Fight |url=http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2005/n01112005_2005011103.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060305195544/http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2005/n01112005_2005011103.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2006-03-05 |access-date=2024-03-30 }}</ref> and as the toughest battle the U.S. military has been in since the end of the Vietnam War.<ref name="ricks1">Ricks, Thomas E. (2007). ''Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2003–2005''. Penguin. p. 399. {{ISBN|0-14-303891-5}}.</ref> It was the single bloodiest and fiercest battle of the entire conflict, including for American troops.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lamothe |first=Dan |date=2014-11-04 |title=Remembering the Iraq War's bloodiest battle, 10 years later |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2014/11/04/remembering-the-iraq-wars-bloodiest-battle-10-years-later/ |access-date=2024-04-02 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Murphy |first=Susan |date=2014-11-07 |title=10 Years After Battle For Fallujah, Marines Reflect On 'Iconic Fight' |url=https://www.npr.org/2014/11/07/362156306/10-years-after-battle-for-fallujah-marines-reflect-on-iconic-fight |access-date=2024-04-01 |work=NPR}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=28 May 2016 |title=Fallujah, again |url=https://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21699461-why-retaking-jihadist-stronghold-has-become-priority-fallujah-again |access-date=28 May 2016 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Brian Michael |date=2016-11-14 |title=What the battles of Mosul and Aleppo tell us about their countries' futures |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/defense/305881-what-the-battles-of-mosul-and-aleppo-tell-us-about-their-countries/ |access-date=2024-04-01 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}</ref>