View source for Nukhayb

{{Coord|32|2|28|N|42|15|17|E|display=title}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = An Nukhayb
| native_name        = النخيب
| image_skyline      = NukhaybIraq.JPG
| image_caption      = View of town from the roof of the school
| pushpin_map        = Iraq
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = {{flag|Iraq}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[Governorates of Iraq|Governorate]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Anbar Governorate]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Districts of Iraq|District]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Ar-Rutba District]]
| timezone           = GMT+3
| utc_offset         = +3
| population_as_of   = 2018
| population_footnotes = 
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 3,571
| coordinates        = {{coord|32|2|28|N|42|15|17|E|region:IQ|display=inline}}
| postal_code_type   = Postal code
| postal_code        = 31016
| area_land_km2      = 48790
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
}}

'''An Nukhayb''' ({{langx|ar|النخيب}}, alt. ''Nukhaib'', ''Nkheeb'') is a town in [[Al Anbar Governorate]], [[Iraq]]. Prior to the 1940s and during a short period in the 1970s, the town was administered by the [[Karbala Governorate]]. There has been conflict regarding to which governorate the town should belong.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.niqash.org/en/articles/politics/5019/|title=Battle For The Iraqi Outback Town On A Cultural Crossroads|first=Ibrahim|last=Turki|website=Niqash}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenational.ae/news/world/middle-east/fears-of-fresh-outbreak-of-sectarian-violence-grip-iraq|title=Fears of fresh outbreak of sectarian violence grip Iraq|work=The National.ae}}</ref>

Nukhayb is located on the [[Al-Abyad Wadi]] at the largest road junction in the region, with roads going south to the [[Iraq–Saudi Arabia border|Saudi Arabian border]], north to the [[Ramadi]]–[[Jordan]] highway, and northeast to [[Karbala]]. Nukhayb is the last Iraqi town before pilgrims cross into Saudi Arabia on their pilgrimage to [[Mecca]]. It has two satellite villages to the north, Habbariya (28&nbsp;km) and Kesrah (51&nbsp;km).<ref>{{cite book|title=Bajallat Markaz Buḥūth Al-Tārīkh Al-Ṭabīʻī|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QfpCAAAAYAAJ|accessdate=15 September 2013|year=1975|publisher=The Center}}</ref> [[Mudaysis Air Base]] is located 50&nbsp;km to the northwest of Nukhayb.

==History==
During the [[Kingdom of Iraq (Mandate administration)|British Mandate]], [[John Bagot Glubb]] established a post at the well of Nukhayb<!-- NUKHAIB IN REF -->  to allow the Iraqi government to control its western deserts.<ref name="Glubb1960">{{cite book|author=Sir John Bagot Glubb|title=War in the desert: an R. A. F. frontier campaign|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=oM5tAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=15 September 2013|year=1960|publisher=Hodder and Stoughton}}</ref>{{rp|342}} Throughout 1929, sections of the [[No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF|Royal Air Force Armoured Cars]] served outpost duty in Nukhayb.<ref>{{cite web|title=RAF Armoured Car Companies in Iraq, 1920-1945|url=http://www.rafacciraq.com/1929.html|website=RAFAC Iraq (pg 1929)|accessdate=26 September 2014}}</ref>

[[File:البوركيبة في لواء الدليم.jpg|thumb|[[Mandatory Iraq]], 1921.]]

In 1960, Nukhayb was upgraded from village to subdistrict.

In 2010, Qatari royal Khalifa bin Abdulla bin Hassan bin Ali al-Thani was killed in Nukhayb when his [[GMC (automobile)|GMC]] hit a bump and rolled during a hunting trip.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle08.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2010/December/middleeast_December88.xml&section=middleeast|title= Qatar royal killed in car crash in Iraq|work=Khaleej Times|date=6 November 2010}}</ref>

In September 2011, 22 Shia pilgrims en route from Damascus to Karbala were stopped at a fake checkpoint near Nukhayb, and then killed by gunmen affiliated with the [[Islamic State of Iraq]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.alliraqnews.com/en/index.php/security-news/7415-nukhaib-murders-criminals-talk-to-press-about-crime.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140926144441/http://www.alliraqnews.com/en/index.php/security-news/7415-nukhaib-murders-criminals-talk-to-press-about-crime.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2014-09-26|title=Criminals behind Nikhaib massacre confess in front of media|work=All Iraq News}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/12/iraq.violence/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140926144552/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/meast/09/12/iraq.violence/|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2014|title=Iraqi police: Gunmen ambush Shiite pilgrims, killing 22|work=CNN|date=12 September 2011}}</ref> In another false checkpoint attack, 14 Iraqi border guards were killed by [[Islamic State]] militants in June 2013.<ref>{{cite news|title=14 Iraqi border police gunned down at fake checkpoint, 2 bodies burned|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/14-iraq-border-police-killed-at-fake-checkpoint-113060501107_1.html|accessdate=4 January 2015|work=[[Agence France-Presse]]|date=June 5, 2013}}</ref>

Reports in summer of 2014 indicated that the Iraqi Army and the [[Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant]] (ISIS) clashed in the town, with government troops "fleeing" towards [[Karbala]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Iraq denies withdrawal of forces from Saudi border|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-28142802|accessdate=26 September 2014|work=BBC News|date=3 July 2014}}</ref> ISIS was reported as having taken control of the town in late June of that year;<ref>{{cite news|last1=Erdbrink|first1=Thomas|title=In the Shadows of Shrines, Shiite Forces Are Preparing to Fight ISIS|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/27/world/middleeast/in-the-shadows-of-shrines-shiite-forces-are-preparing-to-fight-isis.html?_r=0|accessdate=26 September 2014|work=New York Times|date=26 June 2014}}</ref> the Iraqi government forces stated that they regained control of the town in late August of that year. There were several attempts by [[ISIS]] to recapture the town in the following years however they ultimately failed to do so.<ref>{{cite news|last1=al-Obaidi|first1=Hassan|title=Iraqi forces drive ISIL from 3 Anbar cities|url=http://al-shorfa.com/en_GB/articles/meii/features/2014/08/26/feature-01|accessdate=22 November 2014|work=Al Shorfa|date=26 August 2014}}</ref>

Nukhayb is mainly populated by the Al-Shammari and Al-Anezi tribes.

==Climate==
In Nukhayb, there is a desert climate. Most rain falls in the winter. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is BWh. The average annual temperature in Nukhayb is {{convert|21.6|°C|1}}. About {{convert|57|mm|2|abbr=on}} of precipitation falls annually.

{{Weather box|location = Samawah
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y

|Jan high C = 15.4									
|Feb high C = 18.1
|Mar high C = 22.8
|Apr high C = 27.8
|May high C = 33.8
|Jun high C = 39.6
|Jul high C = 41.7
|Aug high C = 41.6
|Sep high C = 38.2
|Oct high C = 31.2
|Nov high C = 23.2
|Dec high C = 17.4

|Jan low C =  3.0				 				
|Feb low C =  4.6
|Mar low C =  8.0
|Apr low C =  13.1
|May low C = 18.5
|Jun low C = 22.4
|Jul low C = 24.5
|Aug low C = 24.0
|Sep low C = 20.5
|Oct low C = 15.8
|Nov low C =  9.5
|Dec low C =  3.6

|Jan precipitation mm = 19										
|Feb precipitation mm = 11
|Mar precipitation mm = 4
|Apr precipitation mm = 5
|May precipitation mm = 4
|Jun precipitation mm = 0
|Jul precipitation mm = 0
|Aug precipitation mm = 0
|Sep precipitation mm = 1
|Oct precipitation mm = 3
|Nov precipitation mm = 6
|Dec precipitation mm = 4
|year precipitation mm= 57

|source = Climate-Data.org, Climate data
|date=17 January 2018}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Sarhan, Abbas. [http://www.niqash.org/content.php?contentTypeID=75&id=2456&lang=0 Karbala and Anbar dispute forgotten town]. Niqash, 3 June 2009
* Visser, Reidar. [http://www.historiae.org/disputed.asp Disputed Territories in Iraq: The Practical Argument Against Self-Determination in Kirkuk]. historiae.org. 25 May 2009
*{{cite book|author=K. M. Al Naqib|title=Geological Survey Professional Paper|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RxwlAQAAIAAJ&pg=PA606|year=1949|publisher=U.S. Government Printing Office|pages=606–|chapter=Geology of the Arabian Peninsula, Southwestern Iraq}}
*{{cite book|author=D. C. P. Thalen|title=Ecology and utilization of desert shrub rangelands in Iraq|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=25YyAAAAMAAJ|accessdate=15 September 2013|year=1979|publisher=W. Junk}}

{{Al Anbar cities}}

[[Category:Populated places in Al Anbar Governorate]]
[[Category:Subdistricts of Iraq]]