Khalidiya Island (Arabic: جزيرة الخالدية ''Jazīrat al-Khāldiyat, Jazirah al-Khaldiyah, Jazeera Khaldiya, Jazirah al-Khalidiyah, Khalediya Island'') is a river peninsula and populated area in

Al-Anbar Province Al Anbar Governorate ( ar, محافظة الأنبار; ''muḥāfaẓat al-’Anbār''), or Anbar Province, is the largest governorate in Iraq by area. Encompassing much of the country's western territory, it shares borders with Syria, Jordan ...

, in central

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

Geography

Khalidiya Island is located in a loop and on the northern banks of river

Euphrates The Euphrates () is the longest and one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. Tigris–Euphrates river system, Together with the Tigris, it is one of the two defining rivers of Mesopotamia ( ''the land between the rivers'') ...

. It is situated north west of

Habbaniyah Al Habbaniyah or Habbaniya ( ar, ٱلْحَبَّانِيَّة, ''al-Ḥabbānīyah'') is a city 85 km (53 mi) west of Baghdad in Al-Anbar Province, in central Iraq. A military airfield, RAF Habbaniya, was the site of a battle in 1941, during Worl ...

, west of the villages of Malahameh and Malahma, east of

Albu Bali Albu Bali is a village in Iraq, which is located in the Al Anbar Governorate north west of the city of Fallujah and east of Ramadi, on a loop of the river Euphrates. The surrounding area is referred to as ''Albu Bali area''. To the east lies Khal ...

and to the north east of the town of Khalidiya, after which it is named. In the north west the village of Baarayn is located. There are further villages within the Khalidiya Island area.

History

During Anbar offensive, the Iraqi army and its allies started to liberate the area from

ISIL An Islamic state is a state that has a form of government based on Islamic law (sharia). As a term, it has been used to describe various historical polities and theories of governance in the Islamic world. As a translation of the Arabic term ...

in March 2016, after there had been fighting in the area before in January and February. Because there was still resistance in the area, the army started a new offensive on 25 May 2016.Anbar Operations announces starting Khalidiya Island liberation operation
Iraqinews.com On 2 June, an Iraqi official reported the killing of "tens" of ISIL militants in the course of international coalition air raids on Khalidiya Island. On 31 July, Anbar Provincial Council said that the island had been fully liberated from ISIL control. The

Ministry of Interior An interior ministry (sometimes called a ministry of internal affairs or ministry of home affairs) is a government department that is responsible for internal affairs. Lists of current ministries of internal affairs Named "ministry" * Ministry ...

in early August announced that Iraqi forces had captured more than 150 km² of the Khalidiya Island from ISIL and killed more than 180 of their members. After the capture of Khalidiya Island, Iraqi forces, carried out search operations and more than 700 ISIL members were announced to have been killed by the middle of August. By August 20, Commander of Anbar Operations Ismail Mahlawi also announced that the area had fully liberated after Iraqi forces regained control of Albu Canaan, the last ISIL stronghold in the area. On 27 August,

Iraqi Prime Minister The prime minister of Iraq is the head of government of Iraq. On 27 October 2022, Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani became the incumbent prime minister. History The prime minister was originally an appointed office, subsidiary to the head of state, a ...

Haider al-Abadi Haider Jawad Kadhim al-Abadi ( ar, حيدر جواد كاظم العبادي; born 25 April 1952) is an Iraqi politician who was Prime Minister of Iraq from September 2014 until October 2018. Previously he served as Minister of Communication fro ...

that Khalidiya island had been completely liberated and the military operations in the area had come to an end. According to Secretary General of

Badr Organization The Badr Organization ( ar, منظمة بدر ''Munaẓẓama Badr''), previously known as the Badr Brigades or Badr Corps, is an Iraqi Shia Islamist political party and military organization headed by Hadi Al-Amiri. The Badr Brigade was the Ir ...

, Hadi al-Ameri, 1,200 militants were killed in the operation.Over 1,200 ISIS members killed in Khalidiya says Ameri
Iraqinews.com (28 August 2016)

References

{{coord missing, Iraq Populated places in Al Anbar Governorate Populated places on the Euphrates River