▁Operation ▁Row , ▁ 1 7 ▁March ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁was ▁Britain ' s ▁contribution ▁to ▁the ▁taking ▁of ▁large ▁parts ▁of ▁western ▁and ▁northern ▁Ira q , ▁this ▁would ▁pin ▁down ▁several ▁Ira qi ▁divisions ▁stopping ▁S add am ▁Hus sein ▁rein for cing ▁his ▁efforts ▁against ▁the ▁main ▁invasion . ▁B ▁and ▁D ▁squad ron ▁in fil tr ated ▁Ira q ▁ ▁( B ▁by ▁ground ▁vehicles ▁and ▁D ▁by ▁air ), ▁a ▁few ▁members ▁of ▁D ▁Squadron ▁were ▁deployed ▁to ▁southern ▁Ira q ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁coal ition ▁advance ▁on ▁Bas ra , ▁the ▁team ▁conducted ▁forward ▁route ▁reconna issance ▁and ▁in fil tr ated ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁brought ▁in ▁strik es ▁on ▁the ▁Ba ' ath ist ▁loyal ist ▁leadership . ▁After ▁capt uring ▁H - 2 ▁and ▁H - 3 ▁air ▁bases , ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁Australian ▁S AS ▁teams ▁moved ▁to ▁their ▁next ▁objective ▁- ▁the ▁intersection ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁main ▁high ways ▁linking ▁Bag hd ad ▁with ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁Jordan , ▁se cur ing ▁Highway ▁ 2 ▁and ▁ 4 . ▁The ▁S AS ▁lost ▁not ▁a ▁single ▁soldier ▁during ▁the ▁taking ▁of ▁Ira q , ▁although ▁two ▁members ▁of ▁D ▁Squadron ▁had ▁died ▁in ▁a ▁training ▁accident ▁before ▁the ▁invasion . ▁Later ▁the ▁S AS ▁operated ▁out ▁of ▁Bag hd ad ▁International ▁Airport ; ▁the ▁force ▁accompanied ▁M I 6 ▁officers ▁into ▁Bag hd ad ▁so ▁they ▁could ▁carry ▁out ▁miss ions ▁with ▁security , ▁by ▁early ▁May , ▁B ▁and