In preparation for an offensive to retake Fallujah, on 1 October, 5,000 American and Iraqi troops assaulted Samarra and secured the city after three days of fighting.

Fighters loyal to the insurgents, including but not particularly Abu Musab Zarqawi, roamed the streets, confiscating music cassette tapes, which were condemned as haram.

[7] On the morning of 1 October, the Iraqi 36th Commando Battalion seized the Golden Mosque inside the city, capturing 25 insurgents and uncovering weapons caches.

The Golden Mosque is considered the third-holiest shrine in Shia Islam, and any damage to it would have aroused significant controversy.

American forces encountered insurgents transporting and unloading weapons using speedboats and opened fire, destroying the boats.