Camp Abu Naji
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| Also known as | Abu Naji |
|---|---|
| Location | Maysan Province / outside Al Amarah, about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad |
| Type | British battle group base |
| Category | NATO-member coalition base |
| Opened | Not stated in the sources consulted (in British use by 2004) |
| Closed or transferred | Vacated by British forces in late August 2006 and handed to Iraqi control (dated 30 August 2006 by the UK Ministry of Defence) |
| Coordinates | 31.83333, 47.15000 (31°49′60.0″N 47°08′60.0″E) — approximate |
Overview
Camp Abu Naji was the main British base in Maysan Province, outside the city of Al Amarah and about 200 miles southeast of Baghdad. It housed the British battle group responsible for Maysan within the British-led Multi-National Division (South-East).
In 2004 the base was home to the 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment battle group of the 1st Mechanised Brigade on Operation Telic 4. When Mahdi Army militiamen besieged the small British garrison at CIMIC House in Al Amarah from 5 August 2004, armored infantry of B and C Companies, 1 PWRR, based at Abu Naji, fought repeated street battles in the city to support it. The garrison in Amarah sat about 20 miles from the main battle group at Abu Naji and depended on convoys for resupply.
After CIMIC House was handed to the Iraqis at the end of August 2004, the British consolidated their forces in Maysan at Camp Abu Naji. The camp came under almost daily attack during British occupation, and in mid-July 2005 a substantial threat of rocket attacks prompted an operation to counter it.
In late August 2006 about 1,200 British troops pulled out of the camp to redeploy along the border with Iran to counter weapons smuggling. Within hours Iraqis entered the base, and the next day looters stripped it of roofing, pipes, doors and window frames while a small contingent of Iraqi Army 10th Division soldiers looked on. Maysan officials said the withdrawal had not been coordinated with them, a claim the British military rejected. The UK Ministry of Defence lists Camp Abu Naji as handed over to Iraqi control on 30 August 2006, and Maysan Province itself transferred to Iraqi control on 18 April 2007.
Timeline
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2004 | 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment battle group (1st Mechanised Brigade, Telic 4) based at Abu Naji. |
| 2004-08 | Siege of CIMIC House in Al Amarah; Abu Naji-based companies fought to support the garrison. |
| 2004-08 (end) | CIMIC House handed to Iraqis; British forces in Maysan consolidated at Camp Abu Naji. |
| 2005-07 | Substantial rocket threat against the camp prompted a counter-operation. |
| 2006-08 | About 1,200 British troops left the camp to redeploy along the Iran border; the camp was looted the next day. |
| 2006-08-30 | Camp Abu Naji handed over to Iraqi control, according to the UK Ministry of Defence. |
| 2007-04-18 | Maysan Province transferred to Iraqi control. |
Units stationed at Camp Abu Naji
Units documented in public sources as based at or operating from Camp Abu Naji. This list is not complete; units rotated frequently and many smaller elements were never reported. Veterans can add their unit on the message board below.
| # | Unit | When | Role at the base | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment battle group (1st Mechanised Brigade) | 2004 (Operation Telic 4) | Main battle group in Maysan, based at Abu Naji | link |
| 2 | B Company and C Company, 1st Battalion, Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment | August 2004 | Armored infantry based at Abu Naji; fought in Al Amarah to support CIMIC House | link |
| 3 | 1st Mechanised Brigade (UK) | 2004 | Parent brigade of the units at Abu Naji and Al Amarah on Telic 4 | link |
| 4 | British forces in Maysan (about 1,200 troops) | until August 2006 | Garrison that left the camp to redeploy along the Iran border | link |
| 5 | Iraqi Army 10th Division (small contingent) | August 2006 | Took over the vacated camp | link |
Notable events and facts
- The 2004 defense of CIMIC House in Al Amarah, supported from Abu Naji, has been described as the longest continuous action fought by the British Army since the Korean War.
- Camp Abu Naji came under almost daily attack while British forces held it, according to an Associated Press report.
- The Associated Press described the August 2006 looting as an indication of possible trouble for the coalition's plan to hand security gradually to Iraqi forces.
- A British spokesman said the handover had been coordinated with Amarah authorities 24 hours in advance and that the governor was expected to use the camp for police training.
Photographs
Roll call: who served at Camp Abu Naji
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Message board: Camp Abu Naji
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Sources
- Battle of the CIMIC House (Wikipedia). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_CIMIC_House
- Iraqi civilians loot base camp after British forces redeploy (Associated Press via The Spokesman-Review, 26 August 2006). https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2006/aug/26/iraqi-civilians-loot-base-camp-after-british
- House of Commons Defence Committee, UK land operations in Iraq 2007, chapter 4. https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmdfence/110/11008.htm
- Smith and Others v The Ministry of Defence, UK Supreme Court judgment (search excerpt). https://www.europeanrights.eu/public/sentenze/UKSC19giug2.pdf