The 12th Light Infantry Division is a formation of the Iraqi Army. It was activated in the 1970s or 1980s, probably disbanded after 1991, but reformed in 2008. It was an armoured division during the 1991 Persian Gulf War. The U.S. 1st Infantry Division (Mechanized) , Task Force 1-41 Infantry, and 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment played a key role in the destruction of the division, destroying no less than 80 combat vehicles. Circa 2009 it was located in Tikrit.
The 12th Division was planned to be established in July 2008 by doubling the 4th Division. Its home base was planned to be at Tikrit and take into account the province of Salah ad-Din Governorate. It was to be initially made up of three trained strategic infrastructure brigades and was to receive the 4th Brigade, 4th Division. A new 4th Brigade was to have been formed for the 4th Division from effective excess staff from the other three brigades of the division.
Division Units:
The 49th Brigade, former 4th Brigade of the 4th Division, the more operational brigade of 12th Division is currently (July 2008) deployed to Baghdad to take part in the battles of Sadr City.
The 48th Brigade is now part of the 4th Division.
As July 2010, division's units are :