Good News From The War On Terror 6/28
Coalition Forces detain six suspected al-Qaeda terrorists
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained six suspected terrorists during operations Wednesday and Thursday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq in Mosul and Baghdad.
Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists Thursday morning during a raid on a series of buildings in Baghdad. The five were detained for their association with a senior terrorist leader who is believed to be a military advisor for an al-Qaeda emir in the area.
Wednesday morning, Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist while targeting an al-Qaeda senior leader in Mosul. The targeted individual is believed to have replaced the al-Qaeda emir of east Mosul after his capture May 31.
Coalition Forces kill 2 gunmen near Muqdadiyah
MUQDADIYAH, Iraq – Coalition Forces engaged and killed two gunmen near Al Thurah, north of Muqdadiyah, Tuesday.
The Soldiers from Troop A, 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron were conducting security operations when they engaged three gunmen armed with AK-47s, killing one. The CF were then attacked with rocket-propelled grenades.
CF pursued the remaining gunmen into a building and discovered small arms and ammunition, a grenade and one improvised explosive devise.
CF were engaged again while inside the building, resulting in a second gunman killed with the third gunman fleeing the area. There were no CF casualties.
CF find, redistribute al-Qaeda food store
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Task Force Lightning Soldiers discovered a warehouse in the Khatoon neighborhood of Baqouba, June 23, filled with food seized by al-Qaeda from Government of Iraq food shipments to the city.
The stockpile of food was discovered as Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces cleared Baqouba during Operation Arrowhead Ripper.
“The theft and hording of these essential supplies by al-Qaeda is just another example of how that organization seeks to control the population by depriving it of needed provisions,” said Col. Steve Townsend, commander of 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. “By these and other actions, al-Qaeda has made it clear that it does not act in the best interests of, or have any concern for, the people of Iraq.”
The Soldiers at the site of the discovery redistributed the food to needy citizens in the area.
Yusufiyah-area men flock to IP recruitment drive
BAGHDAD — Over 1,200 Iraqi men came to Joint Security Station Yusufiyah during a three-day police recruitment drive which ended June 25.
The drive, orchestrated by the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) from Fort Drum, N.Y., the 23rd Military Police Company, 503rd MP Bn., 16th MP Bde., from Fort Bragg, N.C., and the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, began June 23 to increase Iraqi Police manning in the 4-31 “Polar Bears’” area of operations.
The goal was to find 200 qualified Iraqi Police recruits. When the drive began at 8 a.m., there were almost 200 men waiting in line to apply.
Gen. David Petraeus, the Commanding General of Multi-National Force – Iraq, visited the recruitment efforts the first day and spoke to several potential recruits and encouraged them to serve their country.
Five hundred seventy-seven applicants were processed the first day. Another 150 were waiting in line the second day and by mid-afternoon 361 had filled out applications and spoken with the troops.
Officials accepted 252 applications on June 25.
The surplus applications – including one from a local woman - will be kept and as the JSS expands, those individuals will be the first called for new hires.
Applicants represented all major Sunni and Shia tribes in the area with the majority coming from Yusufiyah and Mulla Fayad. Also represented was Carguoli Village, a longtime hotbed of terrorist activity, which has recently begun making strides toward peace.
Each applicant completed a basic literacy test. Other requirements included being between the ages of 20 and 35, not being part of the Iraqi Army, having no ties to extremist groups, and a willingness to move at the government’s need. Applicants must be Iraqi citizens. The recruits’ records will be checked by the Ministry of the Interior to prevent terrorist groups from infiltrating into the IP forces.
OP Arrowhead Ripper Update: Troops continue to clear Baqouba, deliver food to locals
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces and Task Force Lightning Soldiers continued clearing and securing Baqouba, while providing humanitarian aid to citizens there June 27 as Operation Arrowhead Ripper entered its ninth day.
Since the beginning of the operation, ISF and Coalition Forces have provided approximately 265,000 pounds of rice and flour to residents of Baqouba and handed out over 10,000 vegetarian humanitarian rations, and thousands of bottles of water.
Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, at least 60 al-Qaida operatives have been killed, 74 have been detained, 31 weapons caches have been discovered, 81 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed and 18 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.
