Operation Final Strike Ends in Jazerra Area, Northwest of Habbaniyah

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq – Approximately 1,000 Iraqi soldiers from 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division assigned to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team (28th Infantry Division) completed Operation Al Dharba Al Nihaa’ya (Final Strike) in the Jazerra area northwest of Habbaniyah, 75 km west of Baghdad yesterday.

The eastern Jazerra is a known insurgent staging area for attacks against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. Operation Final Strike is a counter insurgency operation aimed at neutralizing the insurgency activity and providing a secure area for the citizens of the Jazerra.

The Iraqi soldiers discovered an improvised explosive device and a small weapons cache during the course of the daylong operation.

Third Brigade controls their own battle space within the 2nd BCT’s area of operation. Since the end of August, 3rd Brigade has been conducting independent counter insurgency operations in this area.

“The morale of the Iraqi Soldiers of this brigade is very high; the work that they are doing shows their ability to properly execute missions. The Iraqi Army is earning the trust of the Iraqi citizens by protecting them from the insurgents and their terrorist operations,” said 3rd Brigade Commander, General Abdul Amir.

Third Brigade is composed of three Iraqi Army battalions, a commando company and the brigade headquarters unit.

Source: USMC

Captain Jeffrey S. Pool is a US Marines Public Affairs Officer, spokesman, writer and photographer based in al Anbar province, Iraq.