Iraqi Kurdistan conflict (2001–2003)

Iraqi Kurdistan conflict
	Part of the Iraqi no-fly zones conflict, the Iraq War, Islamism in Kurdistan, and the War on terror
	; Iraqi Kurdistan, 2003
Date	September 2001 – March 2003
Location	Kurdistan region
Result	Kurdistan Region-United States victory Kurdistan Regional Government regains control of the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan;
Belligerents
Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan Ansar al-Islam; Kurdistan Islamic Group; Kurdistan Islamic Movement; ; Supported by:; Iran (alleged by PUK); KDP (alleged by PUK)	Kurdistan Region PUK; ; United States (armed involvement after Viking Hammer)
Commanders and leaders
Mullah Krekar; Mullah Ali Bapir; Abu Abdullah al-Shafi'i	Jalal Talabani; Tommy Franks
Strength
700–1,000 fighters	70,000 PUK; ~40 USSF
Casualties and losses
200+ killed	Unknown, at least 45 killed and 93 wounded

From 2001 to 2003, there was a military conflict in Iraqi Kurdistan, between the Kurdistan Region and the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan. The conflict began in 2001 as a conflict over governance of Iraqi Kurdistan. In the first battle of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Operation Viking Hammer was launched, and the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan dissolved. After the offensive, most of the Islamic Emirate of Kurdistan officials were exiled to Iran. Ansar al-Islam moved southwards to participate in the Iraqi insurgency and, after it was quelled, the Syrian civil war.