Haditha




Haditha (حديثة, al-Haditha) is a city in the western Iraqi Al Anbar Governorate, about 240 km (150 mi) northwest of Baghdad. It is a farming town situated on the Euphrates River at 34°08′23″N 42°22′41″E / 34.13972°N 42.37806°E. Its population of around 25,700 people, predominantly Sunni Muslim Arabs. The city lies near the Buhayrat al Qadisiyyah, an artificial lake which was created by the building of the Haditha Dam, the largest hydroelectric facility in Iraq. In September 2014, the Islamic State tried to capture the dam, but was stopped by US airstrikes. The dam and the town remain under the control of the Iraqi Security Forces.