Al-Kūt

Al-Kūt, city, capital of Wāsiṭ muḥāfaẓah (governorate), eastern Iraq. It lies along the Tigris River about 100 miles (160 km) southeast of Baghdad. A relatively new city, Al-Kūt serves as a river port and agricultural centre for nearby farms. It is best known as the site of a notable British defeat in the Iraqi theatre of operations during World War I (1914–18). Following a rapid advance from the south in 1915, British forces under Major General Charles Townsend occupied Al-Kūt on their march toward Baghdad. Military reversals led the British to retreat to Al-Kūt, however, where they were surrounded by an Ottoman army on December 8. British forces surrendered on April 29, 1916, and about 10,000 British and Indian soldiers were captured. Other British forces retook Al-Kūt in February 1917. In the 1990s troops of an anti-Iranian militia, the Mojāhedīn-e Khalq, were stationed near the city. Al-Kūt was involved in little fighting during the initial phase (2003) of the Iraq War but was the scene of political violence afterward.

Al-Kūt is a trade centre for agricultural produce grown in the surrounding area, where the Kūt Barrage diverts river water into irrigation canals. Al-Kūt’s prosperity has always depended on the Tigris River’s course changes. Following a period of decline, the city revived when the present river system became established, making Al-Kūt a river port. Pop. (2002 est.) 380,000.