Incident Summary:

03/22/2006: More than one hundred Iraqi insurgents attacked and killed 18 policemen using firearms as they stormed a prison 60 miles northeast of Baghdad, Iraq in Muqdadiya. All of the more than thirty prisoners in the prison were freed. No specific group was blamed for the attack.

GTD ID:
200603220002

When:
2006-03-22

Country:
Iraq

Region:
Middle East & North Africa

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Diyala

City:
Muqdadiyah

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Facility/Infrastructure Attack
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Police
Name of Entity Unknown
Specific Description Prison
Nationality of Target Iraq
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage No
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Firearms Unknown Gun Type
Explosives Grenade
Explosives Projectile (rockets, mortars, RPGs, etc.)
Weapon Details
More than 100 masked fighters surrounded the jail in Muqdadiya, 100 kilometers, or 60 miles, northeast of Baghdad, and blasted government buildings with mortars, grenades and machine guns
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?No
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) Yes
Alternate Designation (more) Insurgency/Guerilla Action
Additional Information Overwhelmed Iraqi forces radioed for help and U.S. helicopter gunships quickly responded. But as soon as they arrived, the helicopters were hit by rifle fire and one American was wounded.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Unknown No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators 100
Number of Captured Perpetrators Unknown
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 18 Fatalities
Total Number of Fatalities 18
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities Unknown
Total Number of Injured Unknown
Number of U.S. Injured 1
Number of Perpetrators Injured Unknown
Sources
Jeffrey Gettleman, “Insurgents storm jail in Sunni heartland; Dozens of rebels kill 18 police officers and free all prisoners in daybreak raid,” The International Herald Tribune, March 22, 2006.
Matthew Schofield, "Insurgents storm base, free 30; 15 police killed," The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 22, 2006.
"Jail Stormed, 27 die in Baghdad," The Statesmen, March 22, 2006.