evidence: Battle of Qurah and Umm al Maradim The Battle for Qurah and Umm al Maradim, were several naval and land battles for control over the islands off the coast of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf, mainly the islands of Qurah and Umm al Maradim. Qurah [edit]Qurah was the first island to be retaken by Coalition Forces. On 24 January, two A-6's destroyed an enemy minelayer, a minesweeper, and a patrol boat near Qurah Island. A second minesweeper was sunk when it ran into one of their own mines, trying to evade the A-6s. Helicopters from USS Curts flew over the wreckage to pick up Iraqi survivors and take them back as POWs. As they picked up the survivors, Iraqi troops on Qurah fired at the helicopters forcing them to fall back, managing to get twenty-two survivors out of the water. USS Curts maneuvered itself in a position so that it could fire on the island's defenses. This started a six-hour battle to retake the first parcel of Kuwaiti Territory. USS Leftwich landed United States Navy SEALs on the island via helicopter, and by the time the gunfire had ceased, three Iraqi soldiers lay dead with fifty-one surrendering. There were no Coalition losses.[1]