Good News From The War On Terror 8/21
Iraqi tips aid Coalition Forces; operations kill 5 terrorists, detain 11 suspects
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed five terrorists and detained 11 suspected terrorists during three operations in central and northern Iraq Tuesday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq and its supporting terror networks.
Iraqi civilians west of Baqubah reported that al-Qaeda in Iraq operatives had moved into the area and forced civilians out of their homes. Coalition Forces moved into the area to conduct an operation targeting a terrorist facilitator believed to operate a safe house for terrorist meetings. An assault force element moved into the target buildings to secure them, but encountered two armed men inside who drew their weapons. Coalition Forces engaged and killed the men. Another armed man emerged from a nearby building with a weapon aimed at the assault force. Coalition Forces responded in self-defense and engaged the armed man, killing him.
When surveillance teams observed armed men maneuvering to a small palm grove near the assault force, Coalition Forces attempted to call them out of their fighting positions, but the enemy fighters did not comply. Coalition Forces responded appropriately to the armed hostile threat and engaged with small arms fire while close air support aircraft engaged the armed men with machine gun fire. Ground forces assess one terrorist was killed in the engagement. At the scene, the ground forces discovered improvised explosive devices and safely disarmed them. Five suspected terrorists were detained.
In Mosul, Coalition Forces captured a Syrian who allegedly facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists and supports an al-Qaeda in Iraq bomb-manufacturing network. Receiving small arms fire when they arrived on the objective, the assault force returned fire. The ground forces assessed one suspected terrorist was wounded, and four suspects were detained for their ties to the bomb-making cell. Intelligence reports indicate the cell was planning a large-scale attack in the Husaybah area.
Using information gained during an operation Jul. 26, Coalition Forces raided a series of buildings south of Kirkuk targeting a close associate of an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader. Upon arrival at the scene, surveillance teams observed one man moving into position against the assault force. Coalition Forces, responding appropriately to the hostile threat, engaged the man, killing him. The ground forces detained two suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to the terrorist leader.
Iraqi Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain two, destroy weapons cache
TAJI – The 4th Iraqi Army, with support from an Iraqi Security Infrastructure Battalion, detained one suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist Aug. 19 in a raid near the Heyshel area of Kirkuk.
With U.S. Special Forces as advisers, seven houses were searched for the insurgent who is suspected of conducting vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks in the Mosul and Kirkuk area. Additionally, he is suspected of mortar and small arms attacks, sniper attacks, murder, kidnapping, ransom, and intimidation of local citizens, resulting in the deaths of innocent Iraqis in the area.
Iraqi forces seized one Dragunov Sniper Rifle with magazines, one rocket propelled grenade launcher with rounds, an AK-47 assault rifle, artillery rounds, a rocket, chest harnesses, and military uniforms.
In a second operation, Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained one suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist during an intelligence driven raid in the Al Washira district of Ramana near Al Qaim.
During the operation local civilians reported that the targeted individuals fled into a nearby mosque. U.S. Special Forces provided external security while Iraqi Forces conducted a search of the mosque.
Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces destroy weapons cache
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, destroyed a weapons cache during an intelligence driven raid Aug. 20 near Diwaniyah.
The forces discovered a large cache containing large quantities of explosively formed penetrators and rocket propelled grenades in the targeted building. Using precision aerial fires, the teams destroyed the cache. No civilians were present at the scene and there were no injuries.
10 detained after RPG attack from mosque
MAHMUDIYAH, Iraq — Coalition troops responding to reports of weapons being moved into a mosque south of Mahmudiyah were attacked with a rocket-propelled grenade Aug. 18.
A local resident called Coalition Forces and reported weapons being unloaded from a vehicle and moved into a mosque. Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., investigated the report.
As the vehicles came up the road near the mosque, an RPG was fired from the building. It struck the vehicle and caused a small fire which Soldiers quickly extinguished.
Another platoon of 2-15 FAR troops arrived and secured the area. A bystander said a group of armed men had fled the mosque in groups of three and dispersed in different directions.
Soldiers of 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division searched the mosque, finding five possible rocket-launching devices. They also examined nearby buildings. A home near the mosque contained a flak vest and ammunition. Iraqi troops detained 10 people on suspicion of involvement in the incident.
As Soldiers of 2-15 FAR returned to Forward Operating Base Mahmudiyah, another RPG round was fired at them, but missed.
The detained men were taken to the Iraqi Army Compound in Mahmudiyah for further questioning.
The mosque was not damaged during the incident.
Marne Soldiers coordinate air support, kills 5 insurgents
FORWARD OPERATING BASE HAMMER, Iraq – Task Force Marne Soldiers and aviators joined forces Aug. 18 to kill five insurgents targeting a combat outpost southeast of Baghdad.
Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment reported receiving small arms fire at Combat Outpost Cahill from two sides late Saturday night. No Soldiers were injured by the sporadic gunfire.
The Soldiers on the ground were able to guide 1st Battalion, 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade aircraft onto the squad-sized enemy element within minutes of the initial contact. The aircraft engaged and destroyed one truck and one anti-aircraft weapon system.
The 1-15th Infantry is assigned to the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, out of Fort Benning, Ga., and the 1-3 CAB is assigned to the 3rd Infantry Division out of Fort Stewart, Ga.
Four caches discovered in the Diyala River Valley during Operation Lightning Hammer
BAQOUBA, Iraq – Soldiers assigned to 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, assigned to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, discovered four weapons caches in Qubbah and Mukeisha villages, in the Diyala River Valley, Iraq, during Operation Lightning Hammer, Aug 18.
While conducting a clearance operation in the village of Qubbah, Soldiers discovered two caches consisting of small-arms ammunition and magazines, 20 sticks of dynamite, detonation cord, 78 blasting caps, one pistol, a suicide vest carrier, six DVDs of suicide bombers, land contracts to rent land to members of the Islamic State of Iraq, propaganda encouraging extremists to kill Coalition Forces and a Wahabbist handbook.
Two other caches were discovered in the village of Mukeisha, which contained 14 Katusha rockets, 10 rocket-propelled grenades, 20-60mm mortar rounds, five 60mm mortar tubes, eight sticks of dynamite, and a DSHKA anti-aircraft weapon system.
