Good News From The War On Terror 6/17
Helicopters kill insurgents during joint IA, US operations
BAGHDAD — Coalition Forces attack helicopters, supporting Iraqi army soldiers who were engaged by insurgents, killed four insurgents and wounded three during joint operations with the Iraqi Army south of Baghdad June 15.
The insurgents fired on the helicopters as they approached and continued firing as they ran into a nearby structure. One of the AH-64s fired on the structure, destroying it.
Three sniper rifles, multiple hand grenades and black masks were found by the Iraqi army outside the structure.
10 terrorists killed, 20 detained in Coalition operations
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed 10 terrorists, detained 20 suspected terrorists and uncovered enemy weapons and bomb-making materials during operations targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq network Saturday and Sunday.
Coalition Forces captured two suspected terrorists during a raid in Baghdad Saturday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders in the city. One of the detainees is allegedly a senior leader in the area who oversees al-Qaeda in Iraq operations and supervised several individuals detained in successful Coalition operations over the past week.
Sunday morning, Coalition Forces targeted several buildings near Karmah that intelligence reports indicated were associated with a Libyan foreign fighter involved in suicide bombing operations. As Coalition Forces approached the first building, seven armed terrorists engaged the ground force with small arms fire. Coalition Forces, responding in self-defense, engaged the seven armed men, killing six and wounding one. The wounded terrorist fled the scene.
Coalition Forces caught the wounded terrorist and two other suspected terrorists as they moved from the first building into the second. The wounded individual was taken to a military medical facility for treatment and the two suspected terrorists were detained.
During a search of the area, Coalition Forces found improvised explosive device-making materials, weapons, and a vehicle containing a heavy machine gun and hand grenades. Coalition Forces safely destroyed the IED materials, vehicle and weapons on site and detained another seven suspected terrorists for their involvement with foreign fighters and al-Qaeda in Iraq suicide bombing operations.
During another Sunday raid in Anbar province, Coalition Forces targeted associates of an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader. As the ground force arrived at the buildings near Zaydon, they awakened three men outside the building. One man drew a pistol while the other two reached for weapons. Coalition Forces responded to the hostile threat and engaged the armed men with small arms fire, killing them.
Another armed man nearby moved into a tactical position against the ground force, and Coalition Forces, perceiving a hostile threat, engaged the armed man, killing him.
Inside the targeted buildings, Coalition Forces detained two suspected terrorists allegedly involved with the al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader network. The ground force also discovered a truck rigged with wires and other indications of vehicle-borne IEDs. An explosives team safely destroyed the VBIED on site.
In Mosul Sunday, Coalition Forces continued to assault the city’s terrorist network, capturing a suspected smuggler and four other suspected terrorists involved in IED attacks. Intelligence reports indicate the alleged smuggler operated a taxi and transported terrorist operatives, weapons, funds and letters between Iraq and Syria. He is also suspected of involvement in the murder of a female worker at Badush prison in January.
Raid on suspected safe house near Samarra
TIKRIT, Iraq – Coalition Forces raided a suspected AQI safe house near Samarra, June 9, discovering identification cards belonging to two U.S. Soldiers missing for nearly a month.
The identification cards of Spec. Alex Jimenez and Pvt. Byron Fouty were discovered at the house, along with computers, video production equipment, rifles and ammunition No one was found at the house.
Fouty and Jimenez, assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, MND-C, disappeared after an attack on their patrol May 12, 2007, outside the town of Yussifieh.Extremists fired on Coalition Forces with small arms fire from a nearby tree line as Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, moved into the area to secure the suspected house. Coalition Forces used combined air and ground firepower to suppress the enemy and secure the area.
Dragon Soldiers find caches, defeat attackers
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers confiscated several weapons caches and defeated insurgent attacks in southern Baghdad June 15 and 16.
Troops from the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment “Tomahawks,” attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, operating in East Rashid, seized several caches containing two PKC machineguns, one RPK light machinegun, 11 AK-47s, four RPG launchers, one SVD sniper rifle, 1,500 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition and other bomb-making materials. The Soldiers are continuing clearing operations in Dora that began in late May.
In West Rashid, several complex attacks on MND-B forces by extremists were defeated.
Troops from the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment “Vanguards” killed five insurgents after being engaged with small arms and RPG fire in two separate attacks June 14 and 15.
ISF continue string of successes with smuggler’s haul; cache find
RABIYAH, Iraq – Iraqi Police working at the Rabiyah Port of Entry discovered money, gold and jewelry being smuggled into Iraq during a standard search of incoming vehicles June 16.
The suspected smuggler was driving a cab from Syria into Iraq through the Rabiyah POE when his vehicle was stopped for a routine search. While conducting the search, IPs found the equivalent of over $300,000 in Iraqi currency and precious metals including gold ingots.
The driver was detained and the money and gold was inventoried and secured pending disposition.
This discovery came only hours after soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division found a weapons cache while searching a farmer’s field in the village of al-Jadida.
While excavating suspicious looking loose dirt, the IA soldiers discovered assault rifles, ammunition and other suspicious materials. The IA soldiers collected all of the items and have detained four suspects.
