Owais Crawford
Baghdad Airport has been the site of several violent incidents, including the 2003 Battle of Baghdad, the 2020 Baghdad International Airport airstrike, and a 2008 incident on the road to the airport. The 2020 airstrike, carried out by the US, killed 10 people and escalated tensions between the US and Iran. The 2003 Battle of Baghdad also resulted in civilian casualties, with hospitals seeing a high number of patients and US soldiers fighting skirmishes with the Iraqi Special Republican Guard. In 2008, three families sought justice and an apology after three people were killed in an incident on the road to the airport. More recently, in September 2020, five Iraqi civilians, including two women and three children, were killed in a rocket attack near the airport. These incidents highlight the ongoing unrest and violence in the region, impacting both military personnel and civilians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 3 January 2020 |
| Location | Baghdad International Airport |
| Type of attack | Targeted drone strike |
| Target | Iranian IRGC convoy |
| People killed | 10 Iranians and Iraqi Shia militiamen |
| People injured | None |
| Perpetrator | The United States |
| Reason | To kill Quds Force commander Qasem Soleimani and Popular Mobilization Forces deputy commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis |
| Outcome | Rapid escalation of tensions between the USA and Iran |
| Civilian casualties | Yes, in 2008 and 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Iraqi civilians killed in a rocket attack near Baghdad Airport
On September 28, 2020, five Iraqi civilians were killed in a rocket attack near Baghdad Airport. The rocket hit a house near the airport, which is also a US military base, killing two women and three children from the same family. Two other children were severely wounded. The Iraqi army reported that no group had claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the airport is often the target of attacks by Iran-backed militias opposed to the American presence in Iraq.
This incident marked the first time in months that an attack on the airport had resulted in civilian casualties. In response, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi ordered the suspension of security forces at the airport, vowing to hold them accountable for their inaction and calling for enhanced efforts to curb such crimes. The US also announced the withdrawal of 2,200 troops from Iraq within weeks following the attack.
Baghdad Airport, located within the heavily fortified Green Zone, has been a frequent target of rocket and bomb attacks. Between October 2019 and July 2020, there were at least 39 reported attacks on US interests in Iraq, causing strain in Iraq-US relations. The US Embassy in Baghdad has also been a target, with Iran-backed groups launching rockets and creating a dangerous situation for both US personnel and the Iraqi government.
The US presence in Iraq has been a contentious issue, especially after the US killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in a drone strike near Baghdad Airport in January 2020. This incident led to rising tensions and retaliatory actions, including missile attacks on Iraqi military bases hosting US forces.
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Iraqi paramilitary members and guests killed in an air strike
On January 3, 2020, Iraqi paramilitary groups reported that five of their members and two "guests" were killed in an airstrike inside Baghdad International Airport. Militia sources stated that the militia members were hosting "important guests" who were being driven in two militia vehicles that were struck by two rockets. The two guests were also killed in the attack but the militia sources declined to identify them. Iraq's Security Media Cell announced that three katyusha rockets had targeted Baghdad Airport.
This incident occurred amid a series of attacks on US interests in Iraq, with the airport, which includes a US military base, often being targeted by Iran-backed militias opposed to the American presence. In the months leading up to the airstrike on the paramilitary groups, there had been at least 39 rocket and bomb attacks on US interests in the country.
The airstrike on the Iraqi paramilitary groups and their guests was likely carried out by drones and targeted the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah Shi'ite militia, according to sources. This strike came after a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that killed a US civilian contractor and wounded US and Iraqi personnel.
While the airstrike on the paramilitary groups did not involve civilian casualties, a separate rocket attack near Baghdad Airport in September 2020 resulted in the deaths of five Iraqi civilians, including two women and three children from the same family. This incident marked the first time in months that an attack on the airport had caused civilian casualties.
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US drone strike kills Iranian IRGC convoy
On January 3, 2020, a US drone strike in Baghdad, Iraq, killed Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, a branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The attack also killed five Iraqi nationals and four other Iranian nationals, including Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy chairman of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and commander of the Iran-backed Kata'ib Hezbollah militia.
The drone strike targeted Soleimani's convoy as it departed Baghdad airport, engulfing two cars in flames and resulting in a total of ten fatalities. The attack was ordered by US President Donald Trump, who asserted that Soleimani had been planning further attacks on American targets and had approved the prior attack on the US embassy in Baghdad.
The killing of Soleimani and al-Muhandis heightened tensions between the US and Iran, with Iran retaliating by launching a rocket attack on an Iraqi air base housing US forces. This was followed by Iranian forces mistakenly shooting down a Ukrainian passenger airliner departing from Tehran.
The United Nations deemed the US drone strike an "unlawful" killing, with UN special rapporteur Agnes Callamard stating that the United States had failed to provide sufficient evidence of an ongoing or imminent attack to justify the strike. Callamard's report called for greater accountability and regulation of targeted killings by armed drones, noting that the world is at a "critical time and possible tipping point" regarding the use of this technology.
In addition to the civilian deaths, the battle and invasion of Baghdad in 2003 caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure, the economy, and the cultural inheritance of the city.
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Iraqi Special Republican Guard fought US forces at Baghdad Airport
The Battle of Baghdad in 2003 saw fierce fighting between US forces and the Iraqi Republican Guard. The US invasion of Baghdad was led by the US Army's 3rd Infantry Division and the US Marine Corps' 1st Marine Division. These forces were equipped with M1 Abrams tanks, M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, M113 armoured personnel carriers, LAV-25s, and Assault Amphibious Vehicles. They were supported by American and British aircraft, including B-52s, Harrier GR7s, and A10 Warthogs.
The Iraqi Republican Guard was the premier offensive force and regime Praetorian Guard, commanded by Major General Iyad Fatih Khalifa al-Rawi. It consisted of about eight divisions, with some 150,000 men. Five divisions were deployed in southern Iraq and Kuwait, while two were deployed near Karbala, and one around Baghdad itself. The Republican Guard divisions were larger and heavier than comparable units in the regular army, with additional armour, artillery, and logistical units.
On April 3, 2003, US forces advanced on Saddam International Airport, which was heavily defended by the Iraqi Republican Guard. Two US soldiers were killed by mortar fire early in the fighting. During the softening-up bombardment of Baghdad Airport, an Air Force F-15E fighter mistakenly attacked Battery C, 3rd Battalion, 13th Field Artillery, destroying two Humvees and killing three soldiers. Sergeant First Class Wilbert Davis and American journalist Michael Kelly were also reported to have been killed on April 3, during operations to secure Baghdad Airport.
On April 4, 2003, the US 2nd Tank Battalion Marine Corps engaged in heavy fighting with the Al Nida Division of the Republican Guards and foreign Islamist fighters on the outskirts of Baghdad. Three US Marines were killed, and a tank was lost. On April 5, US forces executed a raid, later called the "Thunder Run", to test the remaining Iraqi defences. Iraqi resistance was disorganized, and the unit sustained few casualties.
On April 8, 2003, around 500 Iraqi soldiers, including the Republican Guard, launched a counterattack across the Jumhuriya Bridge in Baghdad, forcing US forces on the western side of the city to retreat. However, the Iraqis lost 50 soldiers in the fighting, which included the use of A-10 Warthogs by US forces. An A-10 attack plane was shot down by an Iraqi surface-to-air missile.
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US forces killed between 2,000 and 3,000 Iraqi civilians in 2003
In 2003, the US-led coalition forces invaded Iraq, marking the start of the Iraq War. The invasion was carried out under the code name "Operation Iraqi Freedom" by the US, the UK ("Operation Telic"), Australia ("Operation Falconer"), and Poland. The coalition also received support from approximately 40 other governments, collectively known as the "Coalition of the Willing," and the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the north. The invasion force comprised about 248,000 US soldiers, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers, and 194 Polish Special Forces. The primary objectives of the invasion were to destroy Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and to end the dictatorial rule of Saddam Hussein.
The Iraq War resulted in significant civilian casualties. While the exact number of civilian deaths is difficult to determine due to challenges in estimating war-related fatalities, various sources provide different estimates. According to a report by the IBC project, which recorded deaths between March 2003 and March 2005, there were approximately 24,865 civilian deaths. Of these, 9,270 (37%) were attributed to the US and its allies, making them the largest contributor to civilian casualties.
The Iraq Body Count project, as of 2010, estimated a total of 150,000 deaths, including 122,000 civilians, with US and coalition forces responsible for 13,807 civilian deaths. However, it is important to note that the specific number of civilian deaths attributed to US forces between 2,000 and 3,000 in 2003 is not explicitly mentioned in the available sources.
The Iraq War also resulted in the displacement of many civilians. The conflict caused significant damage to Baghdad's civilian infrastructure, economy, and cultural heritage, leading to a power vacuum and contributing to a prolonged insurgency and civil war.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, five Iraqi civilians were killed in a rocket attack near Baghdad Airport. The victims were two women and three children from the same family. Two other children were wounded.
No, but there was a fire in the departure hall of Baghdad International Airport in 2022, which caused plumes of smoke to spread across the airport. Three airport workers with breathing issues were treated after inhaling the smoke, but no deaths were reported.
Yes, there were three civilian deaths in 2008, which the U.S. military concluded was an "unfortunate and tragic incident".
Yes, there were civilian casualties in Baghdad Airport in 2003 during the Battle of Baghdad.
The Battle of Baghdad was a series of attacks by coalition aircraft on Baghdad, most of them aimed at the Republican Guard and Special Republican Guard.
