Good News From The War On Terror 7/19
Senior al-Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist identified
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces positively identified a third foreign terrorist killed in an operation June 23 south of Hawija.
Ahmed Sancar, also known as Khattab al-Turki, was a known terrorist and senior leader in al-Qaeda and a key financier and facilitator for the terrorist group.
Sancar was killed during the same operation that killed Mehmet Yilmaz, also known as Khalid al-Turki, and Mehmet Resit Isik, also known as Khalil al-Turki. Yilmaz was a close associate of Khalid Shayikh Muhammad, the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Yilmaz also led a group of Turks to Afghanistan in 2001 to fight against Coalition Forces.
Intelligence reports indicate that Sancar, like Isik, performed key communication and logistic roles for al-Qaeda in Iraq and coordinated with other senior al-Qaeda facilitators. Intelligence reports also indicate that prior to Sancar’s death, he was aggressively pursuing a plan to attack northern Iraq, specifically focusing on the Kurdish-controlled areas to increase al-Qaeda in Iraq’s operational reach in the country.
Coalition Forces killed the three foreign terrorists and senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders in an operation June 23. During the course of surveillance operations, Coalition Forces identified a vehicle which they assessed to contain Yilmaz and three associates traveling together. When the vehicle stopped, Coalition Forces moved to detain the four individuals. The four men exited the vehicle, which was followed during surveillance operations, with weapons in hand. As Coalition Forces moved to detain the armed men, the four armed terrorists fired on the forces. Responding in self-defense, Coalition Forces engaged the armed men, killing all four.
Inside the vehicle, Coalition Forces found rocket-propelled grenades, an RPG launcher, numerous AK 47 rifle magazines, a pistol and suspected homemade explosive materials. They safely destroyed the vehicle and weapons on site.
Spartans strike dual targets for Marne Avalanche
KALSU, Iraq — As part of the ongoing operation Marne Avalanche, paratroopers and Iraqi Security Forces conducted raids against two targets in North Babil, early July 16.
Marne Avalanche is the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division’s response to anti-government influence in North Babil and is designed to root out Sunni and Shia extremists alike.
Eight men were detained as suspects responsible for conducting improvised explosive device attacks in North Babil by paratroopers east of Haswah during the early morning raid.The paratroopers of Strike Force Geronimo, the 3rd Battalion, 509th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, conducted an air assault and captured one of the cell leaders and seven of his lieutenants.
The paratroopers also captured a car used as a mobile IED factory, five AK47 automatic rifles, two RPK heavy machine guns with ammunition belts, four ammunition load carrying vests with magazines, two welding tanks, two sets of scales, $2,700 U.S. dollars, 1,000 Iraqi Dinar, an Iraqi police uniform and a large quantity of identification cards.
The second operation was a joint cordon and search conducted in Jabella with more than 550 Iraqi army soldiers and nearly 100 paratroopers from the 4th BCT to root out rogue Jaish Al Mahdi militia, who had used a murder and intimidation campaign to terrorize the city’s populace.
The combined assault swept through the city with no resistance and re-established an Iraqi Security Force presence inside the city providing a safe and secure environment to the local people.
Iraqi informants lead U.S. Soldiers to weapons, IED caches
RUSHDI MULLAH, Iraq — Iraqi informants led Coalition Forces to three significant caches north of Rushdi Mullah, Iraq, July 18.
Accompanying the informants were Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., who helped seize the caches just 20 miles south of Baghdad.
All three caches were found buried in 55-gallon drums within 100 meters of one another.
The contents of the caches included 13 rocket propelled grenades, 150 bags of Russian mortar propellant charges, two 57mm mortar rockets, an armor-piercing rocket propelled grenade, four cylindrical explosive charges, two square explosive charges, two hand-launched star cluster flares, a Russian fragmentary hand grenade, 25 mortar propellant charges, 100 12.7mm DiSHKA heavy machine gun rounds, 20 25mm rounds, a 75-rounds Ak-47 ammunition drum, three sniper rifle scopes, two mortar sights, 10 cell phone chargers, five radios, a pressure plate, a machine gun lower receiver, two 7.62mm machine gun barrels, two bottles of glucose, four vehicle cell phone chargers, an improvised explosive device command wire initiator, a hands-free telephone headset, an eight-battery holder, four cell phone batteries, a 4.8 voltage rechargeable battery, a seven-piece antennae, two flip-open cell phones, four Motorola talk-abouts, a cordless phone, a cordless phone base, a toy cell phone IED initiator, two phone cords, an antennae extension, two keyless-entry devices with IED initiator switches, two magnets, two circuit boards and various nuts and bolts.
The radio and cell phone accessories are commonly used to detonate IEDs.
The ordnance was destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.
12 detained in Coalition operations
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained 12 suspected terrorists during operations Wednesday and Thursday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq operatives in central and western Iraq.
During a precision raid Wednesday, Coalition Forces captured the alleged leader of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device cell in Baghdad. Intelligence reports also indicate the suspected terrorist was being considered for a higher position within the al-Qaeda in Iraq network.
An associated raid in Baghdad Thursday netted five suspected terrorists allegedly tied to the leader of a VBIED cell who supplies IED components and vehicles for the bombing network.
A suspected terrorist allegedly tied to al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders surrendered himself to Coalition Forces during a raid north of Taji. The individual is also believed to have worked with three terrorists killed during a Coalition Forces operation July 17.
Coalition Forces detained four suspected terrorists during two coordinated raids east of Ramadi Thursday while targeting direct associates of a Syrian who facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists into Iraq.
Northeast of Fallujah, Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist allegedly working with an al-Qaeda in Iraq media cell member with access to high-level al-Qaeda in Iraq communications.
ISF, CF continue clearing ‘Old Baqouba’
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Iraqi and Coalition Forces continued operations in the eastern part of Baqouba, known as Old Baqouba, in renewed efforts during Operation Arrowhead Ripper July 18.
Throughout the day Soldier from the 5th Iraqi Army Division, along with the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, and 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion made several arrests and discovered several weapons caches as they moved through the neighborhood.
In one incident, 5-20 IN Soldiers arrested a man suspected of being an improvised explosive device builder. A search of his home revealed various IED components and two other individuals were arrested at that location.
In another incident, two individuals were arrested after they were found to have al-Qaida propaganda materials in their possession.
While clearing the neighborhood, 5-20 IN Soldiers discovered multiple weapons caches containing AK-47 rifles, AK-47 magazines, and a rocket propelled grenade. The cache items were all confiscated.
Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, at least 67 al-Qaida operatives have been killed, 253 have been detained, 63 weapons caches have been discovered, 151 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed and 24 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.
Five militia suspects detained in Karkh
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained five suspected militia members during a combined operation with Iraqi Security Forces in central Baghdad July 17.
Soldiers from Troop C, 1st Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, working with Iraqi troops from 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division conducted searches of targeted homes in the central Baghdad Karkh District, detaining five suspected militia members.
Three Suspected Special Groups Terrorists Detained by Coalition Forces
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained three suspected Special Groups terrorists during a raid before dawn on Thursday in al-Aamel.
No shots were fired when Coalition Forces conducted a precision raid to capture or kill Jaysh al Mahdi rogues known as “Special Groups” suspected of facilitating the flow of Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) and other lethal aide into Iraq from Iran. These Special Groups terrorists are also suspected of killing Sunni Muslims, directing EFP attacks against Coalition Forces, conducting sniper attacks and promoting sectarian violence. It is believed that these terrorists received weapons, explosives and training from Iran.
During the raid, Coalition Forces confiscated pistols, military equipment, fake forms of identification and other questionable documents.
