The footage is from 2006 and reveals a rooftop engagement between Mahdi Militia (Sadr Army) and infantry troopers of 4-23 In, 172nd Stryker Brigade Fight Workforce.
From the submitter:
“We had been tremendous drained and nearly again to our base on BIAP (Baghdad Worldwide Airport). We had spent the night time earlier than doing raids heading in the right direction homes and arresting and questioning dudes, which led to telephone intel, so we spent the entire subsequent morning into early afternoon attempting to catch cell telephones in snap TCPs (site visitors management factors).
Simply as we had been coming into BIAP to lastly be accomplished, we received a name {that a} platoon from considered one of our firms was pinned down in downtown Baghdad. So we needed to flip round and act as QRF for them.
We could not even get inside three blocks of them earlier than rifle rounds started impacting our autos, and we determined it might be a extremely unhealthy thought to drive our autos into the slim streets between the tall buildings, so we dismounted and immediately got here underneath heavy hearth.
We sprinted right into a storage sort constructing with no roof and received accountability of everybody. We did a fast map test and determined that we’d take over and maintain a a number of story constructing lower than a block away ( a constructing we could not really see however regarded good on the map) , which might permit us to get intersecting lanes of fireside with the pinned down platoon.
We had been nonetheless underneath heavy hearth, so the plan was to dash from the storage one hearth staff at a time in 1 minute intervals to attenuate publicity to enemy hearth.
The PL and first squad went first and I used to be the squad chief of the following group. I advised my guys to remain on me and to run as quick as potential. I mentioned go and busted out of the storage and across the nook, however the whole lot regarded completely different than it did on the map. It wasn’t a T intersection however a 5 means intersection and I did not see the PL or the primary squad. Rifle rounds had been snapping previous me consistently, and as I sprinted up the road I regarded again and did not see my guys. They weren’t as quick as me.
I did not know which constructing to enter for positive however took a fortunate guess and my buddy was ready for me proper inside. I lastly noticed my guys come across the nook and waved them into the constructing. It is loopy to assume that none of us had been hit working up that road.
My squad and the opposite squad took turns alternately and shortly clearing every ground and took up firing positions. His squad on the highest ground and mine on the roof.
We immediately began taking hearth, and I may see how shut the rounds had been coming, as a result of a satellite tv for pc dish I used to be standing in entrance of immediately began wanting like Swiss cheese. We received the sensation that the enemy was really utilizing it as an aiming reference, so we ripped it down.
Mahdi insurgents began sprinting throughout the road beneath us and firing up at us, and considered one of our model new guys took a single shot and smoked a man working laterally throughout the road. It was actually spectacular, and the insurgents then began making ladies and children stroll with them so they may relay messages. It was irritating.
We ended up getting simply as pinned down because the platoon had been had been attempting to assist, and a number of other different platoons lastly confirmed up and in addition got here underneath hearth.
At one level a 3 man enemy sniper staff popped up on a roof about 150 meters from us and commenced taking pictures down at considered one of our different items. I advised my buddy who additionally had an ACOG to substantiate that they had been carrying rifles. I advised all my guys to observe as I took intention on the massive fats man with the rifle, considering how superior I am gonna be after they watch me smoke this dude, however I shoot and the insurgents do not react. WTH?!. Out of the blue I determine that I pulled a rookie transfer and shot the wall proper in entrance of me, as a result of my optic was cleared, however my muzzle wasn’t. I shortly took a observe up shot and the fats man dropped after which all of them disappeared, however as an alternative of being the cool rebel killer, I used to be the fool that shot the wall first, and my buddies did not let me neglect it.
Ultimately, our complete Apache Firm pushed dismounts and a number of other strykers up the road instantly beneath us and had been capable of retrieve the primary pinned down platoon who had been now nearly completely out of ammo and water.
This firefight was epic. Most of our firefights had been normally in residential neighborhoods or chop store districts, however this one was in downtown Baghdad overlaying a number of metropolis blocks and a number of other story buildings.
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