6 Days in Fallujah

The Second Battle of Fallujah—codenamed Operation Phantom Fury (U.S.) and Operation Al-Fajr, or “The Dawn” (Iraqi government)—was one of the most intense urban battles fought by U.S. Marines since Hue City in Vietnam. It lasted from November 7 to December 23, 2004, and was a joint offensive involving the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, Navy SEALs, British forces, and the newly trained Iraqi Army, against a deeply entrenched insurgent force in the city of Fallujah, a known stronghold for jihadist fighters. Fallujah had become a symbol of resistance after the brutal killing and mutilation of four Blackwater contractors in April 2004, leading to an aborted first attempt to take the city. The second assault was more coordinated, methodical, and overwhelming in scale.