Coalition forces have undertaken several major offensive operations in the southern and eastern belts of Baghdad from 6/2007 - 1/2008. The goal of these operations has been to block accelerants of violence from entering the city and to remove safe havens for extremists. In undertaking this mission, coalition forces moved into territories that had been ceded to insurgents who turned the areas into strongholds and major support bases for operations in Baghdad.  Over time, Coalition forces have teamed with Iraqi Security Forces to undertake numerous offensives to push extremists out of the Baghdad belts and bring security to the populations of those areas.