User:Yno3832/sandbox

= Battle of Samarra (2014) =

The Battle of Samarra was a battle launched by the Islamic State in goals to capture the Iraqi City of Samarra. This battle was led by Abu Abdulrahman al Bilawi, on 4 June 2014 as part of the larger Northern Iraq Offensive. Samarra is only 20 miles away from the capital Baghdad and is home to one of Shia Islam's holiest shrines such as the Al Askari Shrine. Samarra is home to both Sunni and Shia populations. The Northern Iraq Offensive Began with the Battle of Samarra.

Battle
On 4 and 5 June 2014, ISIL militants attacked and captured parts of the city of Samarra. The ISIL operatives blew up a police station south of Samara overnight, killing several policemen, before they advanced on the city in pick-up trucks, raiding checkpoints along the way. They entered the city from the east and west and quickly captured the municipality building, university and the two largest mosques. The insurgents had reached to within 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from the Al-Askari Mosque, which was defended by three security belts. Militants targeted command centres near the shrine. Soon, government reinforcements were sent from Baghdad and the military managed to regain control of the city, pushing militant forces out of Samarra. 12 policemen and several civilians were killed in the fighting, while an army official claimed 80 militants also died. ISIS militias also were fighting government troops at the city's northwest entrance. Samarra had reportedly become surrounded by ISIL forces. Iraqi forces were fleeing on 13 June.

Government Response
On 13 June 2014, Iraqi forces supported by elements of the Quds Force and Iranian Revolutionary Guards had gathered in the town of Samarra and claimed to have regained control of parts of Saladin Governorate. On 14 June, Al-Maliki went to Samarra and declared "Samarra will be the starting point, the gathering station of our troops to cleanse every inch that was desecrated by footsteps of those traitors." There were conflicting reports about the situation of al-Dhuluiya, outside of Samarra. Government officials and state TV claimed that Iraqi security forces had taken control of the town, but security officials in Samarra and witnesses there told CNN the town was still under ISIL control.