Matt Maupin

2004 Iraq KBR convoy ambush

Part of the Iraq War

Keith Matthew Maupin, a U.S. Army soldier who was captured in the attack and later executed.

Date	April 9, 2004
Location	Baghdad, Iraq
Result	Insurgent tactical victory

Belligerents

United States of America

Mujahideen Shura

al-Qaeda in Iraq

Casualties and losses

5 contractors killed
3 soldiers killed
1 contractor missing
16 civilians and soldiers wounded

United States of America

The Good Friday Ambush 2004, was an attack by Iraqi insurgents on April 9, 2004 during the Iraq War on a convoy of American supply trucks near Baghdad International Airport. It happened in the midst of the Iraq spring fighting of 2004, which saw intensified clashes throughout the country.

On April 5, 2004, the radical cleric Muqtada Al Sadr called for a jihad against coalition forces and Thursday night, April 8, his Mahdi Militia dropped eight bridges and overspans around Camp Scania, thus severing the northbound traffic into the Sunni Triangle. He was hoping to starve the 1st Cavalry Division of fuel and ammunition. Consequently, the 724th Transportation Company was tasked to haul fuel to the north gate of Baghdad Airport from Camp Anaconda, 60 miles away the next morning - Good Friday and the anniversary of the Americans entering Baghdad. Unknown to the truck drivers, elements of the 1st Cavalry Division had pushed militants into the suburbs of Abu Graib, through which the convoy had to travel. Up until this time, the convoy ambushes consisted of four or five insurgents firing on passing convoys with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. The reaction to enemy contact at time was to return fire and clear the area.

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Wikipedia