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Lance Corporal John Bradley, Private Michael Adams, Private John Birch and Private Steven Smart of the 3rd Battalion The Ulster Defence Regiment were killed in a landmine attack outside Downpatrick.
Private Richard Wilson, Private Roy Smith and Private James Cochrane were killed in an IRA attack near Castlewellan, County Down.
After the invasion and the fall of Saddam Hussein, the insurgency deteriorated further into inter-communal conflict between Iraqi Sunni and Shi'a factions.
The Iraqi insurgency of May 2003 - February 2006 followed the invasion of Iraq and the deposing of Saddam Hussein. The armed insurgency attacked the US-led Multi National Force-Iraq and then deteriorated into violent sectarian fighting by February 2006.
Following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 660, on 2 August 1990 stating that:
The Security Council,
Alarmed by the invasion of Kuwait on 2 August 1990 by the military forces of Iraq,
Determining that there exists a breach of international peace and security as regards the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait,
Acting under Articles 39 and 40 of the Charter of the United Nations,
- Condemns the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait;
Following the Battle of Messines, that had reduced the southern half of the Ypres Salient, the British began the major offensive in Flanders, known as the Third Battle of Ypres, to reduce the northern half of the Ypres Salient. The battle had begun on 31 July.
Following the Battle of the Sangro Line in November 1943, 38 (Irish) Brigade continued its advance along the east coast of Italy. On 1 December 1943, the 2nd Battalion The London Irish Rifles occupied positions in and forward of Rocca where, as night fell, two enemy companies were occupying the Treglio ridge. The 1st Battalion The Royal Irish Fusiliers probed forward in the direction of the small coastal town of San Vito.
After five days of rest following the battle of Centuripe and the river crossings over the Salso and the Simeto, 38 (Irish) Brigade was ready for action. Its next task was to capture the German Maletto defensive positions south of Randazzo and then advance to join up with the 1st (US) Division on the route to Randazzo.
The battle for what the enemy called the Gustav Line had begun at 2300 hours on 11 May when the Eighth (UK) Army and Fifth (US) Army launched Operation DIADEM. The plan included the 38 (Irish) Brigade Group leading the 78th Division attack northwards from the River Rapido towards Route 6 at first light on 15 May 1944.
(Right, 78th Infantry Division's Battle-axe Flash - © IWM (INS 6665))
Prior to the Allied offensive in April 1945 to drive the Germans north to the River Po, 38 (Irish) Brigade was deployed on the Senio River. The fighting along the floodbanks reminded many of the trench fighting of the First World War. There were fierce exchanges using hand-held weapons, both direct and indirect, between opponents at close range. The weapons of choice were rifle-launched Mills grenades, with fuses selected for air burst or impact, 2-inch mortars engaging the enemy further out and the anti-tank PIAT, when fired at a high angle, improvising as a ‘bunker buster’.
