Battle of the Bridges
| Battle of the Bridges | |||||||
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| Part of the Gulf War | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 Iraq
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 Kuwait
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Unknown (Medinah Div.) |
Col. Salem Masoud Al-Sorour |
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| Strength | |||||||
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Elements of 1st Republican Guard Corps Elements of 1st Hammurabi Mech Div. Elements of 2nd al-Medinah al-Munawera Armoured Div. |
Elements of 35th Brigade 7th Tank Bn, 3 Coy (26 Chieftains) 8th Tank Bn, 3rd Coy (10 Chieftains) 57th Mech Inf Bn, 1 Coy (5 BMP-2s & several M113s) 51st Art Bn, 1 Bty (7 M109A2s) Antitank Coy (M901 ITVs) |
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Brig. Gen. Ra'ad al-Hamdani (Hammurabi Div.)
The Battle of the Bridges or Kuwaiti Bridges (Arabic: معركة الجسور), also known as the Battle of Jal al Atraf, was a battle that took place on 2 August 1990, in Kuwait following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
The bridges referred to are the two bridges that cross the Sixth Ring Road at the junction with Highway 70, west of the Kuwaiti town of Al Jahra. Al Jahra, a town to the west of Kuwait City, sits astride the roads from the Iraq border to Kuwait City. Jal al Atraf is a nearby ridge.
On 2 August 1990, shortly after 00:00 local time, Iraq invaded Kuwait. The Kuwaitis were caught unprepared. Despite the diplomatic tension and the Iraqi buildup on the border, no central orders were issued to the Kuwaiti armed forces and they were not on alert. Many of the personnel were on leave as 2 August was both the Islamic equivalent of New Year and one of the hottest days of the year. With many on leave, some new crews were assembled from personnel available. In total, the Kuwaiti 35th Brigade managed to field 36 Chieftain tanks, a company of armoured personnel carriers, another company of antitank vehicles and an artillery battery of 7 self-propelled guns.
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