Good News From The War on Terror 4/8-4/9
WEAPONS CACHE SEIZED IN ADHAMIYAH
BAGHDAD - Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team found and detonated a weapons cache uncovered April 5 in the Adhamiyah district.
Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment made the discovery while clearing an suspected insurgent safe house located near the Abu Haneefa Mosque.
The cache was hidden in an underground bunker beneath a courtyard behind the safe house.
Weapons recovered included a sniper rifle outfitted with a scope and a silencer, a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, two L2A3 submachine guns, one PKM, mortar, land mines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and a variety of bomb-making materials, including 20 pounds of homemade explosives.
An explosive ordnance team conducted a controlled detonation of the explosives at the site, after notifying the local Imam to make sure no damage to the Mosque occurred.
OPERATION BLACK EAGLE: IRAQI GENERAL NOTES 'GREAT SUCCESS'
DIWANIYAH, Iraq - Soldiers from the Iraqi Army and Coalition forces entered their third day of fighting against illegally-armed militia in Diwaniyah in order to secure the city and provide stability to the region.
During the second day of Operation Black Eagle, clashes between the Iraqi Army and militia members continued.
"So far, we have achieved great success fighting the terrorists," said Maj. Gen. Oothman Faroud, commander of the 8th Iraqi Army Division, which is leading the assault. "We have freed the people of Diwaniyah from the murder and intimidation that has plagued the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week for months."
The 8th IA Div. and their Coalition counterparts from Multi-National Division-Center South and Multi-National Division-Baghdad have uncovered many large caches of weapons including several explosively formed projectiles and improvised explosive device making factories. They have also uncovered caches of EFPs and IEDs along with homemade explosives and other bomb-making material across the city.
The operation has netted 39 militia members, and killed several more during sporadic fire fights. Two wanted terrorists were captured on the first day of Operation Black Eagle. Both of these detainees have taken part in attacks against Iraqi Security Forces, Coalition troops and innocent civilian targets.
JOINT OPERATION CLEARS TERRORISTS FROM DIYALA RIVER VALLEY
BAQUBAH, Iraq - A joint operation, which began March 24 in the Diyala River Valley northeast of Baqubah, cleared two terrorist safe havens and the surrounding palm groves by unearthing more than 15 weapons caches, killing more than 30 terrorists and detaining 28 suspected terrorists.
Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, partnered with Coalition Forces from 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, cleared enemy territory in Zaganiyah and Qubbah, Iraq and continue to maintain a permanent presence with the newly-constructed patrol base in the heart of the Diyala River Valley.
"To secure the population against terrorists, Iraqi Security Forces are becoming more offensive in their operations," said Col. David W. Sutherland, 3-1 Cav. commander and senior U.S. Army officer in Diyala.
"They will attack the terrorists in the perceived safe havens. However, the importance of these operations is that the people of the area are showing trust and confidence in their soldiers by providing specific information relative to the whereabouts of the enemy," Sutherland added.
Aside from discovering more than 20 improvised explosive devices, the security forces uncovered caches consisting of more than 17,000 rounds of small-arms ammunition, 130 mortar rounds, 175 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 80 grenades, IED-making materials and other terrorist equipment.
"The people remain our center of gravity, and each of these discoveries continues to deny the enemy the ability to use force to target the population and security forces," said Sutherland.
The detainees were transferred to a detention center for further questioning.
SENIOR AL-QAEDA LEADER CAPTURED IN BAGHDAD RAID
Coalition Forces captured a senior al-Qaeda leader and two others during raid Sunday morning in Baghdad.
Coalition Forces identified the man as the gatekeeper to the al-Qaeda emir of Baghdad. He has alleged ties to several senior al-Qaeda members and is reportedly linked to a number of mass casualty vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks in the Baghdad area.
He was detained along with another known al-Qaeda VBIED cell leader and one other suspect.
"This is a significant step in our efforts to disrupt the VBIED network and their devastating attacks against the Iraqi people," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq - The 7th Iraqi Army Division Headquarters hosted the Al Anbar Security Conference here today to discuss security and transition in the province with leaders from the Government of Iraq, Al Anbar and Iraqi Security Forces.
The Minister of Defense, Abd al-Qadir al Mufriji, Minister of Interior, Julad al-Bulani, and National Security Advisor, Dr. Mowaffak al-Rubbaie were briefed by the Provincial Director of Police and commanders from the 1st and 7th Iraqi Army Divisions and 2nd Brigade of the Division of Border Enforcement. The joint security conference promoted the transition to provincial Iraqi security control and cultivated the steps necessary to achieve this goal.
Representatives from the Iraqi Ground Forces Command in Baghdad and the Provincial Joint Coordination Center, which is collocated here with the 7th Division, were also in attendance.
Multi National Corps - Iraq and Multi National Force - West commanders offered security and transition assessments as well as their continued support towards provincial Iraqi control.
The conference was a continuation of the dialogue Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki began with the leaders of Al Anbar during his visit here March 13.
