Operation Marlborough
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (June 2018) |
Operation Marlborough | |||||||
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Part of Iraq War | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom United States | Al-Qaeda in Iraq | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown total | 3 | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
None | 3 dead |
Operation Marlborough was the code name of a mission carried out by M Squadron
Background
On 23 July 2005,
The information was urgent because it showed that a multiple suicide bombing was about to be launched from an al-Qaeda safehouse in southern Baghdad. The only unit on duty at the time was M Squadron SBS on its second 3-month tour of duty in Iraq; some members of G squadron 22nd SAS Regiment supported the SBS personnel.[2][3]
Operation
On the night of 23 July 2005, the SBS arrived close to target house in a combination of
When the SBS troops moved on foot to assault the target building a man wearing a suicide vest came running towards them, detonating his vest too early to kill any of the personnel. No one was wounded, however the explosion caused a Puma flying overhead to lose control, but the pilot managed to regain control of the helicopter just before it crashed. One of the airborne platforms watching the target building saw a man leaving the back of the building and running off, snipers from the Puma killed him. The SBS assaulted the house, storming the main building they began clearing rooms, then a suicide bomber ran down the corridor towards them, an SBS NCO and one of the Team Leaders opened fire on him and killed him. The SBS found explosives everywhere or other components of bomb vests scattered in different parts of the building, they withdrew from the building and left it to the bomb disposal experts.[6]
Aftermath
The SBS was commended for the operation as was the pilot of the Puma.[7]
References
- ISBN 978-1250006967,p.87,
- ISBN 978-1250006967,p.87,
- ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8,p.210
- ISBN 978-1250006967,p.88,
- ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8,p.210
- ISBN 978-1250006967,p.89,
- ISBN 978-1250006967,p.89-90,