Operation Mawtini was launched on 15 July 2007 by the Regimental Combat Team 2, located in western Al Anbar province, to neutralize attempts by anti-Iraqi Forces to re-establish a presence in key urban areas along the Euphrates River valley. The operation called for over 9,000 U.S. Marines, soldiers, and sailors, along with elements of the Iraqi Army, to strike deep into the less-traveled regions of RCT-2's operating area.