1LT (Ret) J. N. Lee
11A Infantry Officer
Text version:
THE GUARDIAN INTERNATIONAL | GLOBAL SECURITY DESK
July 26th, 2025
July 26th, 2025
Duresh Invasion Stalls Amid Heavy Losses in Iraq
By Leyla Farouqi, Middle East Correspondent
Baghdad, Iraq
After 10 days of fierce fighting across northern and western Iraq, the Dureshi invasion appears to be losing momentum. What began in mid-July as a sweeping offensive by the Islamist Republic of Duresh has now ground into a costly stalemate, as U.S. and Iraqi forces reclaim key territories in Al-Anbar and block further advances toward the north.
Pentagon officials confirmed that joint U.S.–Iraqi operations have inflicted “substantial attrition” on Duresh’s forward divisions, particularly around Anizay, where the 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division has spearheaded a series of counteroffensives. Dureshi armored columns that once surged deep into Iraqi territory have been forced into defensive positions, their supply lines disrupted by sustained U.S. airstrikes and long-range Iraqi artillery fire.
“This is no longer an advance—it’s a retreat under pressure,” said one U.S. Central Command official. “Their logistics have collapsed, and morale among Dureshi units is visibly deteriorating.”
Heavy Fighting in Al-Anbar
The fiercest engagements have taken place along the Euphrates corridor, where U.S. and Iraqi forces mounted a coordinated operation to defend key strategic positions against massive Dureshi armored columns. Satellite imagery released this week shows wreckage from dozens of destroyed armored vehicles scattered near the city of Anizay—previously a major staging point for Duresh’s 9th Armoured Division.
Iraqi defense officials reported that coalition troops regained control of multiple towns in western Al-Anbar, while the Lions of the Tigris—an insurgent group previously aligned with Duresh—have reportedly fragmented under the strain of heavy losses. Analysts suggest the group’s imminent collapse has severely undermined Duresh’s ability to maintain influence among local militias.
“This is the breaking point for Duresh’s expeditionary capacity,” said one Baghdad-based defense analyst. “They overextended themselves and underestimated both the coordination of U.S. air assault troops and the resilience of the Iraqi ground forces.”
Northern Front Falters
In the north, Duresh’s attempt to push through Iraqi lines in Erbil Governorate has been met with even stiffer resistance. Iraqi Army units, reinforced by Kurdish Peshmerga and supported by U.S. drone reconnaissance, repelled repeated assaults near the town of Shaqlawa earlier in the invasion. Military sources described the fighting as “intense,” with Duresh suffering significant casualties in the face of precision-guided munitions and entrenched defensive positions.
Field reports indicate that at least two Dureshi mechanized brigades were rendered combat-ineffective after sustained bombardment. Despite attempts to reinforce via the Zakho corridor and even pulling front line troops away from Al-Anbar to support, coalition interdiction operations have largely cut off Duresh’s northern supply routes.
“The failure to take Erbil effectively ends their strategic gamble,” noted a senior Kurdish commander. “They can no longer project power beyond the border—they’re fighting just to hold what’s left.”
Mounting Political Pressure in Tabriz
Inside Duresh, the narrative of victory has begun to crumble. Leaked communications from Tabriz suggest growing divisions within the country’s military leadership, with senior officers blaming each other for operational failures and intelligence miscalculations. Public confidence in the government’s “liberation campaign” is reportedly waning as casualty lists lengthen.
Meanwhile, regional diplomats warn that Duresh’s leadership may resort to escalating rhetoric—or even covert retaliation abroad—to reassert control at home. “They’ve lost their momentum, and they need to project strength elsewhere,” said a European security official in Baghdad. “That makes them unpredictable.”
Grim Discovery in Ramadi
Amid the chaos, a disturbing development has reignited Iraq’s political anxieties. Authorities in Ramadi confirmed yesterday that the body of Mohammed Nouri al-Karbouli, the influential former politician and Sunni leader who vanished in December 2024, has been discovered in a vacant warehouse on the city’s outskirts. According to preliminary forensic reports, the remains showed “clear signs of prolonged torture and execution-style killing.”
Al-Karbouli’s disappearance had long been shrouded in mystery, with speculation ranging from abduction by foreign intelligence services to internal political rivalries. His death is expected to further inflame sectarian tensions already heightened by the war.
“The manner of his death suggests he was silenced,” said one Iraqi parliamentary source. “And in this climate, every faction will try to use it to its advantage.”
As coalition forces continue to consolidate their gains and Duresh’s forces retreat toward the border, questions now turn to what comes next—whether Iraq can stabilize after months of bloodshed, or whether the conflict will simply mutate into a new phase of proxy warfare stretching across the region.
AUTHORIZED FOR DISTRIBUTION BY 1-506th S-2
Written By: 1LT J. N. Lee
Reviewed and Edited By: 1LT Jae Lee
The entirety of this document represents fictional works of the 506th Infantry Regiment Realism Unit, S-2 Intelligence Shop, developed for use within the Arma Reforger military simulation video games, and exists purely for entertainment and educational purposes only. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, and products is intended or should be inferred.