The Battle of Atraken, also known as the disaster of Atraken and the Atraken campaign, was one of the longest battles of the Clone Wars. It resulted in the devastation of the planet, rendering it uninhabitable.
Atraken, once a rich source of doonium, became a battleground when CIS protectionist forces refused to relinquish control of the mining operation there. Entrenched in the planet's crust for nearly a year, the Separatists unleashed biochemical agents to deter the Galactic Republic's clone troopers. This resulted in hundreds of thousands of civilian casualties as the toxins seeped into much of the planet's water tables and ecosystems.
As one of the early fronts of the conflict, Atraken was plagued by warfare for almost a year. For the most part, the two opposing forces were locked in a stalemate. Its distant location from the Corellian Trade Spine hampered Republic resupply efforts, but the push of Operation Katabatic led to the conquering of the Separatists' droid armies.
Despite the success of Operation Katabatic spelling victory for the Republic's forces and denying the Separatists access to the valuable shipbuilding ore, the Battle of Atraken spelled tragedy for the one million inhabitants of the colony world. An estimated 90% of the planet's population were either poisoned, displaced, or killed in the fighting. Those who could afford to leave fled to neighboring worlds, while others were believed to have sought refuge on Trilos, the only Atraken moon with a breathable atmosphere.
The Battle of Atraken also proved to the Republic that it was impossible to wage a "clean" war.
- Planets of the Galaxy, Volume Two
- The Star Wars Planets Collection
- The New Essential Chronology
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia
- The Essential Atlas