The central region of Iraq lies south of Baghdad and its borders are defined by the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Its main cities include Karbala, Hillah, Kut (الكوت), Diwaniyah (الديوانية), and Najaf (النجف). The population is predominantly Shi'a in the south and generally a mixture of Sunni and Shi'a to the north of Hillah and northwest of Kut. Both Multi-National Division Central (MND-C) and Multi-National Division – Central South (MND-CS) are responsible for security operations in this region, the former led by the 3rd Infantry Division and the latter led by a Polish Battle Group at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Echo in Diwaniyah. Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) also play an important role in this region, particularly the 8th Iraqi Army Division led by the capable General Othman Ali Ferhood.

The violence in this region is multi-faceted; Coalition forces have fought al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) elements that have used areas in central Iraq to support a campaign of spectacular attacks within the capital of Baghdad. These operations have been successful to the point where AQI elements are no longer able to rely upon Central Iraq for sanctuary. Cells that were once projecting outwards and fomenting sectarian violence are now severely degraded and aiming merely to survive. A detailed analysis of Coalition Operations against AQI in the Southern Belts is available here.

Coalition and Iraqi forces have also confronted Iranian-backed Shi’a militias, often associated with Muqtada al-Sadr’s Jaysh al-Mahdi. This region has also been the central arena for violence between the two major Shi’a factions, the Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq (ISCI/SCIRI) and the Sadrist Trend (التيار الصدري). Following the assassination of provincial governors in Qadasiyah (Diwaniyah) and Muthanna provinces in August 2007, the Islamic Supreme Council in Iraq has drawn on its superior position in several provincial governments and within the Iraqi Security Forces to push for a major crackdown on the Sadrist Trend, including but not limited to Jaysh al-Mahdi.

This crackdown progressed slowly until erupting in March 2008, when violence broke out in many areas of Central Iraq (as well as in Baghdad and Southern Iraq) between the ISF and elements of JAM and Special Groups. A timeline of that violence is available here, with a backgrounder containing further analysis available here.