Battle of Failaka | |||||||
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Part of the Gulf War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
Iraq | Kuwait | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Ra'ad al-Hamdani | Saif Al-Anezi † Ghazi Ahmed † | ||||||
Units involved | |||||||
Iraqi Special Forces Battalion Marine Battalion Helicopter Support | Infantry Company Company of Border Guards |
The Battle of Failaka broke out between the Kuwaiti garrison of Failaka Island and attacking Iraqi forces during the Iraqi Invasion of Kuwait, on 2 August 1990.[ citation needed ] The Kuwaiti garrison consisted of an infantry company and a company of border guards, in addition to air defense company armed with Hawk SAMs. Iraqi forces consisted of a special forces battalion transported by helicopters reinforced with a battalion of marines.
After the successful takeover by the Iraqi army, the island of Failaka was depopulated, with its 2,000 residents expelled to the mainland. [1] The island was retaken by US forces in 1991, using tools of psychological warfare, making the Iraqi contingent of 1,400 surrender without a single shot. [2]
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