ur gency ▁enjoyed ▁free ▁rein ▁throughout ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁province . ▁ ▁Ram adi ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Brigade ▁arrived ▁in ▁Ram adi ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 0 ▁M 1 ▁Abr ams ▁t anks ▁and ▁ 8 4 ▁Brad ley ▁fighting ▁vehicles , ▁many ▁loc als ▁believed ▁the ▁brig ade ▁was ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁a ▁Fall uj ah - style ▁block - by - block ▁clear ing ▁assault ▁on ▁the ▁city ▁and ▁many ▁ins urg ents ▁fled ▁the ▁city . ▁ ▁Following ▁Colonel ▁H . R . ▁Mc Master ' s ▁" Clear , ▁Hold , ▁Build " ▁strategy , ▁the ▁brig ade ▁developed ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁isol ate ▁the ▁ins urg ents , ▁den y ▁them ▁san ctu ary , ▁and ▁build ▁Ira qi ▁security ▁forces . ▁▁ ▁moved ▁into ▁some ▁of ▁Ram adi ' s ▁dangerous ▁neighborhood s ▁and ▁built ▁four ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁eventually ▁become ▁eigh teen ▁combat ▁out posts ▁starting ▁in ▁July ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁The ▁soldiers ▁brought ▁the ▁territory ▁under ▁control ▁and ▁inf lic ted ▁many ▁cas ual ties ▁on ▁the ▁ins urg ents . ▁On ▁ 2 4 ▁July , ▁the ▁Al - Q a eda ▁in ▁Ira q ▁( A Q I ) ▁launched ▁a ▁counter att ack , ▁initi ating ▁ 2 4 ▁assault s , ▁each ▁with ▁about ▁ 1 0 0 ▁f igh ters , ▁on ▁American ▁positions . ▁The ▁ins urg ents ▁failed ▁in ▁all ▁of ▁their ▁attacks ▁and