Polish zone in Iraq
The Polish zone in Iraq (Polish: Polska strefa w Iraku), designated as the South Central, South Center, Central South, Center South Zone or Sector (Polish: Strefa środkowo-południowa), was the area of responsibility for Multinational Division Central-South under Polish command, during the Occupation of Iraq. It was created in 2003 when Iraq was divided into four zones. The occupation ended on 31 December 2008.[1]
South Central Zone | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–2008 | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
 Zones in Iraq in 2003. Polish zone (South Central), marked in pink. | |||||||||
| Status | Military occupation | ||||||||
| Capital | Camp Babylon (2003–2004) Al Diwaniyah (2004–2008) | ||||||||
| Historical era | Iraq War | ||||||||
| 2003 | |||||||||
• End of occupation | 31 December 2008 | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
| 2003 | 65,632 km2 (25,341 sq mi) | ||||||||
| 2005 | 28,655 km2 (11,064 sq mi) | ||||||||
| Population | |||||||||
• 2003 | 5 000 000 | ||||||||
• 2005 | 3 000 000 | ||||||||
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The South Central Zone covered the Al-Qādisiyyah, Karbala, Babil and the Wasit Governorates. The region had a population of about 5 million spread over 65,632 km2. The Najaf Governorate was passed back to American control in 2004, due to reduction in strength of the forces under Polish command; this reduced the zone to about 3 million of population spread over 28,655 km2. Major cities in the Polish zone include Diwaniyah, Kut, Hillah, and Karbala and Najaf. The strength of the Polish forces decreased from 2,500 (2003) to 900 (2007); the Multinational Division Central-South numbers about 2,000 troops. Polish casualties number was 25. The casualties of the entire division were 65.[1]
References
- Grzegorz Jasiński (editor): Polski Kontyngent Wojskowy w Iraku 2003-2008, in: Kronika Wojska Polskiego. Warsaw: Fundacja Polonia Militaris, 2011. ISSN 1734-2317.