The Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) ( ar, قوات العمليات الخاصة العراقية) are a
special operations
Special operations (S.O.) are military activities conducted, according to NATO, by "specially designated, organized, selected, trained, and equipped forces using unconventional techniques and modes of employment". Special operations may include ...
force of Iraq. The unit was created in 1950, but was disbanded and recruited from scratch by
coalition forces
' ps, کمک او همکاري '
, allies = Afghanistan
, opponents = Taliban Al-Qaeda
, commander1 =
, commander1_label = Commander
, commander2 =
, commander2_label =
, commander3 =
, comman ...
after the
2003 invasion. The forces, directed by the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, consist of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Command, which has three brigades subordinate to it. The Counter Terrorism Service (''Jihaz Mukafahat al-Irhab'', originally translated as Counter Terrorism Bureau) is funded by the Iraq
Ministry of Defence
{{unsourced, date=February 2021
A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
.
History
![IraqiSF1968](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/IraqiSF1968.jpg)
Special operations troops of the Iraqi Army were first established when Colonel
Khalil Dabbagh built the first royal special units in the name of "Queen Alia Forces" in the mid-1950s. It consisted of Sunni and Shia Arabs, as well as other components of the Iraqi population. They were mainly used on an emergency basis to carry out special missions inside of Iraq and outside when the country was at war.
The 65th Special Forces Brigade, 76th Special Forces Brigade, 78th Special Forces Brigade, and 450th Marine Brigade were active during the
Persian Gulf War
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
.
![ISOF Pre-2003 Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/ISOF_Pre-2003_Logo.png)
After the
2003 Invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq was a United States-led invasion of the Republic of Iraq and the first stage of the Iraq War. The invasion phase began on 19 March 2003 (air) and 20 March 2003 (ground) and lasted just over one month, including 26 ...
, the
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
-era Iraqi Army was disbanded by the occupation authorities. Because of that, the current Iraqi commando force was recruited from scratch, mostly from
Shia
Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...
,
Sunni
Sunni Islam () is the largest branch of Islam, followed by 85–90% of the world's Muslims. Its name comes from the word '' Sunnah'', referring to the tradition of Muhammad. The differences between Sunni and Shia Muslims arose from a disagr ...
Arabs,
Kurds ug:كۇردلار
Kurds ( ku, کورد ,Kurd, italic=yes, rtl=yes) or Kurdish people are an Iranian ethnic group native to the mountainous region of Kurdistan in Western Asia, which spans southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Ir ...
,
Assyrians and
Turkmen. In November 2005, after training in
Jordan
Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...
with
Jordanian Special Forces and
U.S. Army Special Forces
The United States Army Special Forces (SF), colloquially known as the "Green Berets" due to their distinctive service headgear, are a special operations force of the United States Army.
The Green Berets are geared towards nine doctrinal m ...
("Green Berets"), the Iraqi Special Operations Force had 1,440 men trained, composed of two combat battalions, considered equal in training and combat effectiveness to an average U.S. Army infantry
battalion
A battalion is a military unit, typically consisting of 300 to 1,200 soldiers commanded by a lieutenant colonel, and subdivided into a number of companies (usually each commanded by a major or a captain). In some countries, battalions are ...
, and two support battalions. By March 2008, the force consisted of a single
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute a division.
Br ...
which in turn was made up of an Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Force (ICTF) battalion, three Commando battalions, a support battalion and a special reconnaissance unit.
[Measuring Stability and Security in Iraq]
- March 2008 Report to Congress.
On April 18, 2010, ISOF troops, supported by U.S. troops, carried out a night-time raid on a terrorist safe house near
Tikrit
Tikrit ( ar, تِكْرِيت ''Tikrīt'' , Syriac language, Syriac: ܬܲܓܪܝܼܬܼ ''Tagrīṯ'') is a city in Iraq, located northwest of Baghdad and southeast of Mosul on the Tigris River. It is the administrative center of the Saladin Gover ...
. The ISOF surrounded the building and called on them to surrender, but instead the terrorists fired on them. The ISOF returned fire and assaulted the building. The ISOF killed
Abu Ayyub al-Masri
Abu Ayyub al-Masri ( ; , ', translation: "Father of Ayyub the Egyptian"; 1967 – 18 April 2010), also known as Abu Hamza al-Muhajir and
Abu Omar al-Baghdadi
Hamid Dawud Mohamed Khalil al-Zawi ( ar, حَمِيدُ دَاوُدَ مُحَمَّدُ خَلِيلِ ٱلزَّاوِيِّ, Ḥamīd Dāwud Muḥammad Ḵalīl az-Zāwī; 1959 – 18 April 2010), known as Abu Hamza al-Baghdadi and Abu Omar ...
, the leaders of the
Islamic State of Iraq
The Islamic State of Iraq (ISI; ar, دولة العراق الإسلامية '), commonly referred to as al-Qaeda in Iraq ( ar, القاعدة في العراق '), is a militant Salafist jihadist group that aimed to establish an Islamic stat ...
, 16 others were also arrested.
2016 Battle of Mosul
In the
Battle of Mosul that began in October 2016, the special ops forces were the first division into the city of
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
, which had been occupied by
Islamic State
An Islamic state is a State (polity), state that has a form of government based on sharia, Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical Polity, polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a t ...
since 2014. After the
fall of Mosul
The Fall of Mosul occurred between 410 June 2014, when Islamic State insurgents, initially led by Abu Abdulrahman al-Bilawi, captured Mosul from the Iraqi Army, led by Lieutenant General Mahdi Al-Gharrawi.
On 4 June, the insurgents began their ...
, the ISOF battalions increasingly took up an infantry role the Iraqi army and militias weren't able to provide during operations, a role the unit was unfamiliar with for most of the war against terror. This resulted in a greater number of casualties than in previous operations, which were smaller in scale and shorter in duration.
On 1 November 2016, the 1st Iraqi Special Forces Brigade fought its way into the Gogjali quarter of the city, becoming the first Iraqi unit to enter the city during the offensive. On 10 July 2017, the Iraqi prime minister declared the liberation of Mosul from ISIS.
By the end of the battle, CTS forces suffered a 40 percent casualty rate.
Command structure
![Special_Operations_Iraq_SSI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6a/Special_Operations_Iraq_SSI.svg)
ISOF
1st Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-1) - based in
Baghdad
Baghdad (; ar, بَغْدَاد , ) is the capital of Iraq and the second-largest city in the Arab world after Cairo. It is located on the Tigris near the ruins of the ancient city of Babylon and the Sassanid Persian capital of Ctesiphon ...
often referred to as the Golden Division, previously the Golden Brigade.
*
![36th_CDO_BN_unit_patch](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/36th_CDO_BN_unit_patch.jpg)
1st Battalion (Commando) - former
36th Battalion
*
![Flag_of_the_Iraqi_Counter_Terrorism_Bureau](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Flag_of_the_Iraqi_Counter_Terrorism_Bureau.svg)
2nd Battalion (ICTF)
*
![ISOF Pre-2003 Logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/ISOF_Pre-2003_Logo.png)
3rd Battalion (Support)
*
![MVC-001S_2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3f/MVC-001S_2.jpg)
5th Battalion (Recon)
*
Wolf Brigade (Commando Police)
*
CTG Kurdistan (Commission)
2nd Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-2) with units in
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second large ...
,
Karbala
Karbala or Kerbala ( ar, كَرْبَلَاء, Karbalāʾ , , also ;) is a city in central Iraq, located about southwest of Baghdad, and a few miles east of Lake Milh, also known as Razzaza Lake. Karbala is the capital of Karbala Governorat ...
,
Diyala and
Al Asad
* 6th Regional Commando Battalion
* 7th Regional Commando Battalion
* 8th Regional Commando Battalion
* 9th Regional Commando Battalion
3rd Special Operations Brigade (ISOF-3) was established in Basra by spring 2013, following an order by the prime minister in January 2012
that the forces expand by an additional brigade. It consisted of regional commando battalions in
Basra
Basra ( ar, ٱلْبَصْرَة, al-Baṣrah) is an Iraqi city located on the Shatt al-Arab. It had an estimated population of 1.4 million in 2018. Basra is also Iraq's main port, although it does not have deep water access, which is hand ...
,
Babylon
''Bābili(m)''
* sux, 𒆍𒀭𒊏𒆠
* arc, 𐡁𐡁𐡋 ''Bāḇel''
* syc, ܒܒܠ ''Bāḇel''
* grc-gre, Βαβυλών ''Babylṓn''
* he, בָּבֶל ''Bāvel''
* peo, 𐎲𐎠𐎲𐎡𐎽𐎢 ''Bābiru''
* elx, 𒀸𒁀𒉿𒇷 ''Babi ...
,
Najaf
Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...
, Maysan, Dhi Qar and Muthanna provinces, a recon battalion, and a support battalion.
A Special Tactics unit is also maintained.
*10th Regional Commando Battalion
* 20th Regional Commando Battalion
* 36th Regional Commando Battalion
* 45th Regional Commando Battalion
![36th Cdo badge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/36th_Cdo_badge.jpg)
Academia (formerly 4th battalion, 1st ISOF brigade). It is responsible for screening and training of new recruits for Counter-Terrorism Command (CTC).
Weapons
Assault rifles and battle rifles
*
M4A1 carbine
The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle.
The M4 is extensively ...
*
M16A2/M16A4
*
Remington R4
The Remington R4 is a firearms platform based on the AR-15/ M16/ M4/M4A1 series designed and manufactured by Remington Arms.
Design
In 2012, when the R4 was introduced, the platform was available in four variants: the 7-inch R4-C, 11.5-inch R4 ...
*
Rock River Arms LAR-15
*
SIG Sauer SIGM400
The SIGM400 is a family of firearms manufactured by SIG Sauer. The M400 is an air-cooled, direct impingement gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine that is based on the earlier AR-15 rifle. Depending on the variant, it can be chambered for 5.56×45m ...
*
VHS-K2/D2 bullpup assault rifle
*
K2C carbine
*
OTs-14 Groza
The OTs-14 Groza () is a Russian selective fire bullpup assault rifle chambered for the 7.62×39 round and the 9×39mm subsonic round. It was developed in the 1990s at the TsKIB SOO (Central Design and Research Bureau of Sporting and Hunting Ar ...
Sub-machine guns
*
Uzi
The Uzi (; he, עוזי, Ūzi; officially cased as UZI) is a family of Israeli open-bolt, blowback-operated submachine guns and machine pistols first designed by Major Uziel "Uzi" Gal in the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the ...
*
Heckler & Koch MP5
The Heckler & Koch MP5 (german: Maschinenpistole 5) is a 9x19mm Parabellum submachine gun, developed in the 1960s by a team of engineers from the German small arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. There are over 100 variants and clones of the MP5, ...
*
Heckler & Koch MP7
The Heckler & Koch MP7 (German: ''Maschinenpistole 7'') is a personal defense weapon chambered for the HK 4.6×30mm armor-piercing cartridge designed by German defence manufacturer Heckler & Koch.
It was designed (together with the new cartri ...
*
FN P90
The FN P90 is a compact 5.7×28mm personal defense weapon designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. It can also be considered a submachine gun. Created in response to NATO requests for a replacement for 9×19mm Parabellum firearms, t ...
Sniper rifles and anti material rifles
*HSR Cyclone sniper rifle
*
Steyr HS .50/AM50 anti-material rifle
*
M24 SWS
*ORSIS T-5000 sniper rifle
*
Barrett M82A1/M107 SASR
*
K14 sniper rifle
The S&T Motiv K14 is a .308 Winchester bolt-action sniper rifle developed by S&T Motiv, and is a standard sniper rifle of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
*
Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle
The Mk 14 Enhanced Battle Rifle (EBR) is an American military selective fire battle rifle, and a designated marksman rifle chambered for the 7.62×51mm NATO Cartridge (firearms), cartridge. It is a variant of the M14 rifle, M14 battle rifle and ...
Handguns
*
Beretta 92FS
The Beretta 92 (also Beretta 96 and Beretta 98) is a series of semi-automatic pistols designed and manufactured by Beretta of Italy. The Beretta 92 was designed in 1975, and production began in 1976. Many variants in several different calibers co ...
pistol
*
Tariq pistol
*
S&W M&P9 pistol
*
Glock 17 & Glock 19
*
HS2000
The HS2000 (''Hrvatski Samokres'', ) is a series of semi-automatic pistols. Polymer-framed and striker-fired, the series is manufactured by HS Produkt (formerly I.M. Metal) in Karlovac, Croatia. In Europe, the pistols are marketed as the HS and ...
pistol
Machine guns
*
PKM
*
M249
The M249 light machine gun (LMG), also known as the M249 Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), which continues to be the manufacturer's designation, and formally written as Light Machine Gun, 5.56 mm, M249, is the American adaptation of the Belgian F ...
light Machine gun
*
M240
The M240 – officially the Machine Gun, 7.62 mm, M240 – is the U.S. military designation for the FN MAG, a family of belt-fed, gas-operated medium machine guns that chamber the 7.62×51mm NATO cartridge.
The M240 has been used by the ...
GPMG
*
DShKM
The DShK 1938 ( Cyrillic: ДШК, for russian: Дегтярёва-Шпагина Крупнокалиберный, Degtyaryova-Shpagina Krupnokaliberny, links=no, "Degtyaryov-Shpagin large-calibre") is a Soviet heavy machine gun with a V-shaped bu ...
heavy machine gun
*
Browning M2HB
Launchers and grenade launchers
*
M203 grenade launcher
The M203 is a single-shot 40 mm under-barrel grenade launcher designed to attach to a rifle. It uses the same rounds as the older stand-alone M79 break-action grenade launcher, which utilizes the high-low propulsion system to keep recoil force ...
*
RPG-7
The RPG-7 (russian: link=no, РПГ-7, Ручной Противотанковый Гранатомёт, Ruchnoy Protivotankoviy Granatomyot) is a portable, reusable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank, rocket-propelled grenade launcher. ...
*
RPG-27
The RPG-27 is a Soviet single shot disposable grenade launcher. It entered service with the Soviet Army in 1989.
History
The RPG-27 ''Tavolga'' ('meadow grass') was developed by the State Research and Production Enterprise, Bazalt, as a modern a ...
*
M136 AT4
The AT4 is a Swedish unguided, man-portable, disposable, shoulder-fired recoilless anti-tank weapon built by Saab Bofors Dynamics (previously Bofors Anti-Armour Systems and before that FFV Ordance). The AT4 is not considered a rocket launc ...
*
Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon
The Mk 153 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) is a smoothbore shoulder-fired rocket launcher. It is a portable assault weapon (i.e. bunker buster) and has a secondary anti-armor capability. Developed from the B-300, it was intr ...
*
K4
*
Milkor MGL
The Milkor MGL (Multiple Grenade Launcher) is a lightweight 40 mm six-shot revolver-type grenade launcher (variations also fire 37/38mm) developed and manufactured in South Africa by Milkor (Pty) Ltd. The MGL was demonstrated as a concept to the ...
*
Daewoo Precision Industries K4
*
Mk 47 Striker
References
External links
{{Iraqi security forces
2003 establishments in Iraq
Counterterrorist organizations
Institutions of the Iraqi Council of Ministers
Military units and formations established in 2003
Special forces of Iraq