Global InformationBattle of Khafji information
| Battle of Khafji | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Gulf War | |||||||
 Map of military operations during the liberation of Khafji[image reference needed] | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States Saudi Arabia Qatar Kuwait |
 Iraq | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
|
Khalid bin Sultan Turki Abdulmohsin al-Firmi Sultan Adi al-Mutairi Hamid Matar Fahd bin Abdul-Aziz |
Saddam Hussein Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri[1] Salah Aboud Mahmoud | ||||||
| Units involved | |||||||
|
2nd SANG Brigade Royal Saudi Marine Battalion Qatar Tank Battalion United States 1st Marine Division United States 2nd Light Armored Infantry Battalion, 2nd Marine Division |
1st Mechanised Division 3rd Armoured Division 5th Mechanised Division | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
|
Coalition estimate: 43 killed (11 from friendly fire) 52 wounded 2 captured[2][3] 9–12 armoured vehicles lost 1 AC-130 shot down |
Iraqi claims: 71 killed 148 wounded 702 missing 186 armoured vehicles destroyed Saudi Arabian estimate: 60–300 killed 400 captured 90 armoured vehicles destroyed[2][3] | ||||||
The Battle of Khafji was the first major ground engagement of the Gulf War. It took place in and around the Saudi Arabian city of Khafji, from 29 January to 1 February 1991.
Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who had already tried and failed to draw Coalition forces into costly ground engagements by shelling Saudi Arabian positions and oil storage tanks and firing Scud surface-to-surface missiles at Israel, ordered the invasion of Saudi Arabia from southern Kuwait. The 1st and 5th Mechanized Divisions and 3rd Armored Division were ordered to conduct a multi-pronged invasion toward Khafji, engaging Saudi Arabian, Kuwaiti, and U.S. forces along the coastline, with a supporting Iraqi commando force ordered to infiltrate further south by sea and harass the Coalition's rear.[4]
These three divisions, which had suffered significant losses from attacks by Coalition aircraft in the preceding days, attacked on 29 January. Most of their attacks were repulsed by U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army forces but one of the Iraqi columns occupied Khafji on the night of 29–30 January. Between 30 January and 1 February, two Saudi Arabian National Guard battalions and two Qatari tank companies attempted to retake control of the city, aided by Coalition aircraft and U.S. artillery. By 1 February, the city had been recaptured at the cost of 43 Coalition servicemen dead and 52 wounded. Iraqi Army fatalities numbered between 60 and 300, while an estimated 400 were captured as prisoners of war.
Although the invasion of Khafji was initially a propaganda victory for the Ba'athist Iraqi regime, it was swiftly recaptured by Coalition forces. The battle demonstrated the ability of air power to support ground forces.
- ^ "Izzat Ibrahim Al-Douri / Izzat Ibrahim al-Duri". Archived from the original on 5 September 2019. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Westermeyer132was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
Stanton10was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Titus, James (1996). "The Battle of Khafji: An Overview and Preliminary Analysis" (PDF). Defense Technical Information Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2019.