Liberation of Jurf Al Sakhar, codenamed Operation Ashura (Arabic: عملية عاشوراء), was a two-day military operation by Iraqi government forces and Iranian-backed PMU forces beginning on 24 October 2014, aimed at retaking the strategic city of Jurf Al Sakhar near Baghdad from IS.
The operation was mainly aimed at preventing IS militants from reaching the holy cities of Karbala and Najaf, where IS threatened to carry out attacks against the millions of Shia visitors commemorating the Day of Ashura.
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