Good News From The War On Terror 6/11-6/12
12 DETAINED IN COALITION RAIDS
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition Forces detained 12 suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt the al-Qaeda in Iraq network Monday.
Coalition Forces targeted a location southeast of Fallujah where an alleged al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader was staying based on intelligence reports and information gained from an operation June 7. The ground forces detained six suspected terrorists on site for their association with the cell leader, who is known for emplacing improvised explosive devices.
Coalition Forces raided a group of buildings in Tarmiyah in an operation targeting a suspected terrorist associated with al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders. Coalition Forces detained the individual, who is allegedly a financial emir for the terrorist organization.
During four coordinated raids in Baghdad, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists linked to an al-Qaeda in Iraq emir. The ground force also found a cache of weapons at the site, which they safely destroyed.
'PATRIOTS' UNCOVER CACHE, CAPTURE SUSPECTED TERRORIST IN WESTERN BAGHDAD
BAGHDAD - Multi-National Division- Baghdad Soldiers, in cooperation with Iraqi Security Forces, conducted a raid in the western Baghdad neighborhood of Hateen June 10, uncovering a cache of bomb-making materials and capturing a terrorist suspect believed to be linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq.
"We've been looking for this guy for some time," said 1st Lt.
Kevin Mills, a tactical intelligence officer with 2-32nd FA. Mills said the operation's success can be attributed to the cooperation and shared intelligence between U.S. and Iraqi Security Forces.Soldiers from the 2nd "Patriot" Battalion, 32nd Field Artillery Regiment, attached to 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, acted on a tip and apprehended the alleged al-Qaeda member. The troops also found approximately 500 boxes of toilet bowl cleaner and 20 boxes of circuit breaker covers, which can be used to build improvised chemical weapons.
Mills said the planning and coordination for this operation took place at Joint Security Station Torch in the Yarmouk neighborhood, near the site of the raid. The raid was a product of coordination and cooperation between the Patriot Battalion and members of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army and the Yarmouk Iraqi Police.
'DRAGON' SOLDIERS SEIZE, DESTROY BOMB FACTORY
BAGHDAD - Multinational Division - Baghdad Soldiers seized a bomb-making factory, along with another large weapons cache while on patrol in the eastern portion of the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital June 11.
"This is tremendous work by our Soldiers to take more than 300 (improvised explosive devices) off the streets," said Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
Troops from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, and Company A, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th IBCT, discovered the factory, a complex of small buildings deep in the thick palm groves of East Rashid, after receiving word of the objective's location from other Coalition Forces.
The find consisted of one vehicle wired and loaded with explosives as a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device; 54 82mm mortars; 27 155mm artillery shells; one 500-pound bomb; 64 anti-tank mines; two 200-pound bombs; three 100-pound bombs; 30 130mm projectiles; 30 hand grenades; 200 artillery boosters; 10 40mm rounds; one bag of blasting caps; one rocket of unknown caliber and origin; one bag of booster charges; six bags of propellant; 300 five-gallon cans of nitric acid used to make homemade explosives; one bag of breaching charges and 15 bags of anti-personnel mines with 100 mines per bag. Also found in the cache was enough wiring and bomb-making material to create more than 300 improvised explosive devices.
In a separate cache near the complex, an additional 125 five-gallon containers of nitric acid were found.
Three other vehicles were also found at the site wired as car bombs, but did not contain explosives.
A Coalition explosive ordnance disposal team catalogued the weapons and explosives found and will dispose of them properly, preventing them from being used against innocent Iraqi people or Iraqi Security and Coalition Force personnel.
1-15 INF CONDUCTS AIR ASSAULT MISSION, DESTROYS CACHE
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq - Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, seized a weapons cache near Al Dur'aya June 4.
The unit conducted an air assault operation into the area to
capture insurgents and destroy weapon caches."With us moving by air, we were able to get our elements to the objective, and was ideal in this situation," said Capt. Leo Buehler, Company B, 1-15 Infantry commander. "Because of the objective's remote location and enemy's network of early warning observation posts along the limited ground routes into the village, a ground infiltration would have given the enemy more than one hour early notice."
By dropping from CH-47 Chinook helicopters, Coalition Forces
gained the advantage by allowing the enemy only minutes to prepare."As a result, the enemy was unable to recover their equipment
prior to our arrival on site," Buehler said.The mission netted one insurgent cache containing 30-60 mm
mortars, seven AK-47 assault rifles, 32 AK-47 magazines, two 60 mm mortar tubes, one set of body armor and one military-style uniform.During the mission, AH-64 Apache attack helicopters engaged and destroyed a truck after receiving small-arms fire.
The cache was destroyed by explosive ordnance personnel at the scene.
KABUL, Afghanistan – Afghan and Coalition forces detained two militants in an operation early Tuesday against militant Taliban forces in the Mandozai district of Khowst Province.
Coalition forces acted on credible intelligence identifying the location suspected of housing local Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. A search revealed two suspected militants.
Two females in the house were wounded by flying debris during the operation: one 13-yr-old girl had minor abrasions and a 25-yr-old woman received a wound to her underarm. She and her family refused medical evacuation for the injury, and the medics on site determined it was not necessary.
Medical personnel treated the wound, giving her antibiotics and instructions on how to care for it.
“Civilian injuries are always regrettable, and coalition forces train extensively on how to avoid them,” said coalition spokesman Army Major Chris Belcher. “When Taliban and al-Qaeda operatives hide among their families, they are putting everyone in harm’s way.”
The detainees will be questioned as to their involvement in militant activities.
ENORMOUS MUNITIONS CACHE RECOVERED
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Afghan National Police and Coalition forces received information from local villagers while conducting a medical engagement for 50 families, which led to the discovery of a massive munitions cache in the Chamkani district of Paktya province June 10.
Local Afghans from the village of Sultak provided information to the ANP on the whereabouts of an insurgent logistical improvised explosive device facilitator while conducting a shura. After receiving the information, the ANP quickly located and began searching the suspected compound.
While entering the compound, the ANP received sporadic enemy machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire. ANP immediately returned fire forcing the insurgents to flee. Once securing the compound, a subsequent search led to the discovery of the entrance of two large caves hidden under two animal pens.
Within the caves, ANP and Coalition forces recovered a substantial amount of munitions consisting of RPG rounds, 82mm mortar rounds, mines, grenades, blasting caps, machine gun ammunition, detonation cord, assorted fuses and charges, IED receivers and power sources, blocks of explosives, and medical supplies.
There were no injuries to any Afghan civilians or ANP members during the brief firefight.
Local elders were able to view the munitions cache and assisted ANP and Coalition forces in removing the contents of the cache. The elders also vowed to track down the IED facilitator and bring him to justice.
Afghan civilians who facilitate the recovery and turn-in of munitions caches are compensated for their efforts through the Small Rewards Program. The SRP was created to encourage and compensate Afghan civilians for their efforts to rid the country of weapons used by insurgent and foreign fighters.
