Operation Spear begins overnight, when US F-16 fighter planes drop a series of 500 lb. bombs on insurgent targets in and around Karabilah.

Two bombs hit suspected rebel safe houses; four are dropped on rebels firing mortars and assault rifles at US ground forces outside of town. Three more bombs hit weapons caches in the area.

Intense fighting ensues in the center of town. Marines discover an insurgent bunker complex that includes a building with a small basement. A weapons cache of automatic rifles, machine guns, and ammunition supplies is secured.

Another portion of the compound contains a small school. Inside, soldiers find bomb-making instructions written on the classroom’s blackboard, and terrorist training manuals. US forces seize DVDs with images of insurgents beheading captives.

Marines find four Iraqi men who have been tortured and held hostage for three weeks. The men are bound and gagged, but alive.

Outside a mosque, terrorists fire on Marines and Iraqi soldiers. The insurgents hide in the mosque when coalition forces return fire. Three of the terrorists are killed

Air strikes hit vehicles and terrorist-occupied buildings in and around Karabilah.

Severe dust storms slow the clearing of the Marines’ objective areas, but Operation Spear ends with the insurgent strongholds cleared out and 33 buildings left damaged or destroyed. Three car bomb factories are secured and 17 car bombs are accounted for, including a tractor-trailer, a dump truck and a van rigged with explosives. The VBIEDs are destroyed in place by Marine tank units.

47 terrorists are dead, and a lone rebel is captured.