Good News From The War On Terror 7/11
Targeted raid in Sadr City kills eight insurgents
BAGHDAD — Eight insurgents were killed during a targeted raid in eastern Baghdad July 9.
Elements of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, attached to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, killed eight members of a criminal militia, believed to be responsible for roadside bomb emplacements and indirect fire attacks originating from Sadr City, while conducting an early morning precision raid in the eastern Baghdad security district July 9.
After receiving a tip from residents on the whereabouts of leaders of a criminal militia operating inside Sadr City, Soldiers from the unit cordoned off the area and began searching the objective area. Within minutes of arriving on the scene, the Soldiers were engaged by rocket-propelled grenades and small arms fire from numerous locations.
The Soldiers responded, killing the eight insurgents during the ensuing firefight.
20 terrorists killed, 20 detained during Operation Saber Guardian
MUQDADIYAH, Iraq – Operation Saber Guardian, a joint operation between 3rd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army soldiers, local concerned citizens, and 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, targeted at al-Qaida leadership near the town of Sherween, Iraq, resulted in 20 al-Qaida terrorists killed, 20 detained, and two weapons caches and 12 improvised explosive devices discovered.
The operation began early Tuesday morning with close air support engaging three river crossings and one bridge with eight 2,000 pound bombs and 14-500 pound bombs. The locations are used by al-Qaida to conduct their attacks and were engaged to prevent their escape.
The people of Sherween played a vital role in this operation as they fought side-by-side the ISF to help them capture and kill known terrorists.
Members of the IA also cleared a local mosque, a suspected terrorist haven, and identified mortar tubes, a mortar cache, small-arms munitions, a sniper rifle and machine guns. The other weapons cache included small-arms munitions and IED-making materials.
MND-B Soldiers seize cache, detain suspects
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers found a weapons cache in the western portion of the Rashid District, and detained numerous suspected insurgents during operations in southwestern Baghdad, July 9-10.
Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment “Black Lions,” 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, seized a weapons cache consisting of 10 60mm mortars, five 120mm mortars, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, an RPG round and a 60mm mortar tube.
During early morning operations July 10, scouts from Troop A, 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment “Raiders,” captured a man believed linked to a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device that target Coalition Forces a few days prior.
Also that morning, a tip led Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment “Vanguards” to launch a raid aimed at interdicting militia activities. During the raid, eight suspects were detained.
“Black Lions” troops captured three suspected terrorists during a cordon and search operation. One of the suspects detained had been wounded earlier in the day and was taken to a medical facility for treatment.
“Warriors” of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, also detained a man with two government identification cards. One card had his photo in it, the other was blank. Elsewhere, Company A, 2-12 Inf. captured the triggerman of an improvised explosive device.
IA, CF discover al-Qaeda safe house north of Baqouba
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces discovered an al-Qaida safe house, north of the capital of Diyala province, early this week.
Iraqi Army soldiers and CF Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, found the building while conducting operations north of Baqouba. Inside, the patrol found medical supplies, medical equipment and al-Qaida related propaganda.
Also inside the building was a room with indicators that it had been used as a place of torture, such as blood on the walls and blacked out windows.
One person was detained near the building after locals identified him as being an insurgent.
The Iraqi Soldiers destroyed the medical supplies after finding they were expired.
Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, at least 60 al-Qaeda operatives have been killed, 222 have been detained, 55 weapons caches have been discovered, 125 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed and 24 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.
IED factory discovered, specialized in ‘curb-shaped’ bombs
MOSUL, Iraq – Soldiers from 4th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division discovered an improvised explosive device-making facility July 8 during operations in the Al-Sina’a neighborhood.
The accompanying cache consisted of 400 lbs. of Ammonium Nitrate, fragmentation material, cement and molds for shaping, and numerous batteries and other IED components. A completed curb-shaped IED, ready for emplacement, was also found.
The 2nd Iraqi Army Division Bomb Disposal Company responded to the find and reduced all of the material in place.
Rockets, mortars seized in Rashid
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division - Baghdad troops discovered three weapons caches in the western part of the Rashid District July 10.
Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, part of Task Force Black Lion, found a weapons cache while searching an area with a metal detector. The cache included one 107mm rocket, two rockets larger than 107mm, a 130mm rocket, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two RPG rounds and a 60mm mortar tube.
An explosive ordnance disposal team detonated the cache at the site. There was no collateral damage.
In the early afternoon, Company A, 1st Battalion, 77th Armored Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, seized a cache of five 120mm mortars in their original containers.A few hours later, Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment “Black Lions” found three 107mm rockets with wires attached, and three cases of U.S.-made .50 cal ammunition.
Two terrorists killed, 20 suspects detained
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed two terrorists and detained 20 suspected terrorists during raids targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq throughout the country Wednesday morning.
During early morning raids in Mosul, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists. The five individuals are allegedly active al-Qaeda cell members and operatives in Mosul. While the ground forces were conducting the operation, one terrorist attempted to attack ground forces with knife. Responding to the threat, Coalition Forces reacted in self-defense and engaged the armed man, killing him.
In western Baghdad, Coalition Forces raided a building and detained one suspected terrorist for his involvement in the deadly Baghdad IED and VBIED network operations. During the early morning raid, one man refused to comply with the translator’s instructions from the ground force. Despite repeated attempts by Coalition Forces to subdue the man, he continued to resist and made threatening motions toward the ground force. Coalition Forces, reacting to the hostile threat, engaged the man, killing him.
Six suspected terrorists were detained in a Baghdad raid for their association with a deadly al-Qaeda in Iraq improvised explosive device and vehicle-borne IED terror cell leader known to conduct kidnappings, assassinations and numerous mortar attacks on Coalition Forces bases.
A precision raid west of the capital city netted a suspected terrorist believed to be key logistics link and conduit in the al-Qaeda in Iraq network.
Coalition Forces raided a series of buildings in Samarra and detained four suspected terrorists there for their association with an al-Qaeda leader known for bringing foreign terrorists into Iraq.
During coordinated raids west of Taji, Coalition Forces detained a direct associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders and two other suspected terrorists for their involvement with al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Suspected Secret Cell Terrorist Detained by Coalition Forces
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained one suspected Secret Cell terrorist before dawn on Wednesday in Southwest Baghdad. It is believed that the military aged male is affiliated with the Jaysh al-Mahdi affiliated Special Groups, the terror group active in Baghdad and believed to be responsible for numerous attacks on Iraqi civilians as well as Coalition Forces in Baghdad.
No shots were fired when Coalition Forces conducted a raid to capture or kill terrorists suspected of kidnapping, killing, and conducting attacks against the Iraqi people and Coalition Forces.
Extortion network shut down in Rawah, insurgents detained in Hit
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces conducted a series of intelligence driven operations in Western Iraq July 9, resulting in the detainment of four individuals allegedly responsible for running an extortion network and two individuals suspected in planning attacks against Coalition Forces.
In the vicinity of Rawah, Iraqi police seized numerous documents and detained four insurgent extortion suspects without incident. The detained individuals were allegedly engaged in extorting protection money from Government of Iraq and Coalition Forces contractors and using the funds to finance al Qaeda in Iraq activities.
During a separate operation in the vicinity of Hit, two suspected insurgents were detained after Iraqi Police received information tying them to recently seized weapons caches. According to independent sources, the individuals were planning an attack against Coalition Forces and allegedly stored the caches, which included suicide belts, propane tank improvised explosive devices and 60mm mortar tubes, on a farm in the area. They are believed to be part of an insurgent group responsible for a series IED and small arms fire attacks against Coalition Forces.
The capture and detainment of these individuals will disrupt insurgent activities in Western Iraq as well as their ability to interfere with the Iraqi government and destabilize the al Anbar area.
Iraqi Police detain alleged mortar, sniper cell leader in Samarra
SAMARRA, Iraq – Iraqi Police Forces conducted an intelligence driven operation in Samarra July 9 and detained an individual allegedly responsible for running a mortar and sniper network in Samarra.
With Coalition Forces along as advisors, Iraqi Forces seized a large amount of ammunition, four sniper rifles, parts for sniper rifles, various mortar rounds, material for making improvised explosive devices, two black masks, and documents.
The capture and detainment of this individual will reduce the amount of sniper systems in Samarra and the number of sniper and mortar attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces.
