The OIF GenerationA field guide to the Iraq War and the generation that fought it
Battles and Operations

Najaf, August 2004

A 1st Cavalry Division soldier watches smoke rise near the Najaf cemetery, August 19, 2004.
A 1st Cavalry Division soldier watches smoke rise near the Najaf cemetery, August 19, 2004. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Ashley Brokop (public domain)
Dates: August 5–27, 2004 (following earlier fighting in April). U.S. forces: 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, 1st Battalion 4th Marines, Army units including 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment elements. Opponent: Mahdi Army of Muqtada al-Sadr.

Background

The Mahdi Army first rose against the coalition in April 2004. In August, fighting erupted again in Najaf, home of the Imam Ali Shrine, one of the holiest sites in Shia Islam.

The battle

Marines and soldiers fought militia fighters through the city and the vast Wadi al-Salaam cemetery. As the Mahdi Army fell back into the shrine complex, U.S. forces encircled it. Commanders faced the dilemma of how to end the fight without damaging a sacred site.

Resolution

On August 27, an agreement brokered by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani ended the fighting. Militia fighters left the shrine among crowds of pilgrims, and Iraqi police took over security in the city. U.S. forces did not have to enter the shrine.