▁by ▁around ▁ 1 , 0 0 0 ▁Mar ines ▁in ▁the ▁ung overn ed ▁region ▁of ▁western ▁Ira q . ▁Its ▁goal ▁was ▁the ▁closing ▁of ▁sus pected ▁ins urg ent ▁supply ▁routes ▁of ▁volunte ers ▁and ▁material ▁from ▁Sy ria , ▁and ▁with ▁the ▁fight ▁they ▁received ▁their ▁assumption ▁proved ▁correct . ▁F igh ters ▁armed ▁with ▁fla k ▁jack ets ▁( un seen ▁in ▁the ▁ins ur gency ▁by ▁this ▁time ) ▁and ▁sport ing ▁s oph istic ated ▁tact ics ▁met ▁the ▁Mar ines , ▁eventually ▁inf lic ting ▁ 3 0 ▁U . S . ▁cas ual ties ▁by ▁the ▁operation ' s ▁end , ▁and ▁suffering ▁ 1 2 5 ▁cas ual ties ▁themselves . ▁ ▁The ▁Mar ines ▁succeeded , ▁re capt uring ▁the ▁whole ▁region ▁and ▁even ▁fighting ▁ins urg ents ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁Sy rian ▁border , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁stop ▁( S y rian ▁residents ▁living ▁near ▁the ▁border ▁heard ▁the ▁American ▁bomb s ▁very ▁clearly ▁during ▁the ▁operation ). ▁The ▁vast ▁majority ▁of ▁these ▁armed ▁and ▁trained ▁ins urg ents ▁quickly ▁dispers ed ▁before ▁the ▁U . S . ▁could ▁bring ▁the ▁full ▁force ▁of ▁its ▁fire power ▁on ▁them , ▁as ▁it ▁did ▁in ▁Fall uj ah . ▁ ▁Ann oun c ements ▁and ▁renew ed ▁fighting ▁On ▁ 1 4 ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁the ▁Washington ▁Post ▁quoted ▁one ▁anonymous ▁U . S . ▁senior ▁official ▁express ing ▁that ▁" the ▁United ▁States ▁no