Good News From The War On Terror 8/5
Golden Mosque bombing mastermind killed in Coalition operation
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces positively identified a terrorist killed during an operation Aug. 2 east of Samarra.
Coalition Forces killed Haythem Sabah Shaker Mahmud al-Badri, also known as Haythem Sabah al-Badri, during an operation east of Samarra targeting him and a network facilitating the movement of foreign fighters in Iraq. Al-Badri was the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of Greater Samarra and the terrorist responsible for planning the Golden Mosque bombing in Samarra June 13, 2007.
During the operation, Coalition Forces raided a series of four buildings associated with al-Badri. Approximately four armed men moved from the targeted buildings into outdoor tactical fighting positions in what was assessed by the ground forces to be an ambush on approaching Coalition Forces. Responding appropriately to the hostile threat, Coalition Forces called in close air support. Al-Badri, along with three other terrorists, was killed by the air strike. One of the other terrorists was assessed to be a foreigner. Ground forces also found weapons on site and detained seven other suspected terrorists.
Al-Badri was positively identified by close associates and family members.
Al-Badri was the mastermind behind the first bombing on Samarra’s Golden Mosque in February 2006, as well as the second bombing Jun. 13 of this year. Intelligence reports indicate he had a working relationship with al-Qaeda in Iraq and was considered an operational planner and emir in the Samarra area.
Reports also indicate Al-Badri was involved in the Kirkuk courthouse bombing Jun. 23, 2006, that killed 20 Iraqis and wounded more than 100, and a suicide bombing attack on an Iraqi Army checkpoint in Samarra that killed 29 and wounded more than 100 Iraqi soldiers and civilians.
Al-Badri operated a terrorist network in Samarra responsible for improvised explosive device and vehicle-borne IED attacks, sometimes acting as the triggerman. He was known to target Coalition Forces and Iraqi civilians who work with the Coalition, as well as a rival tribe and politicians from that tribe.
Al-Badri helped move foreign terrorists around Iraq for terrorist activities, and received logistic support, including money, cars and suicide bombers from al-Qaeda associates outside Iraq.
Iraqi Army, Special Operations Forces capture beheading, torture cell leader
FALLUJAH, Iraq – Iraqi Army Forces, and U.S. Special Operations Forces captured a suspected senior member of an al Qaeda in Iraq beheading and torture cell during a helicopter assault raid, Aug 4.
With U.S. Special Operations Forces present as advisers, Iraqi Soldiers detained their primary suspect and four additional persons of interest without incident at a residence in the vicinity of Karmah, located northeast of Fallujah. Two assault rifles, numerous rounds of ammunition, cassette tapes, propaganda materials and photos were also seized during the operation.
The primary suspect is second in command of an al Qaeda cell in Karmah. He is purportedly responsible for approximately 40 executions where he personally kidnapped, tortured, killed and beheaded individuals or gave orders for others to do so. He and his cell are also alleged to have facilitated foreign fighters, smuggled large weapons caches into Iraq, and planned attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and facilities.
Four terrorists killed, seven detained
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed four terrorists and detained seven suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq Sunday.
As Coalition Forces targeted an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader believed to be the terrorist emir of a small town east of Balad, surveillance teams observed a group of men enter a nearby mosque. Coalition Forces began their operation, and the surveillance teams saw two enemy elements of two armed men exit the mosque and maneuver into tactical positions against the assault force. Coalition Forces, responding appropriately to the hostile threat, engaged each of the enemy elements, killing one armed man from each. The ground forces continued their operation, which was not associated with the mosque, and detained two suspected terrorists.
East of Samarra, Coalition Forces observed five armed men emplacing improvised explosive devices on the road. Coalition Forces followed the men to a nearby building associated with a Moroccan extremist believed to facilitate the movement of foreign terrorists in Iraq. Coalition Forces observed three armed men outside the building after the IED emplacers entered. Responding appropriately to a group of armed enemy fighters, Coalition Forces called in close air support, which engaged the armed men in the yard of the building, killing two of them. A boy was also injured when a ricochet struck his foot. Coalition Forces medics treated the boy on site and transported him to a military medical facility for further treatment.
Coalition Forces on the ground approached the targeted building and secured the area before detaining four suspected terrorists for participating in the placement of IEDs and their ties to the foreign terrorist facilitator.
North of Fallujah, Coalition Forces targeted and captured an individual with alleged ties to the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of Diyala Province. Intelligence reports indicate the suspect is also connected to other high-level al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders.
Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces Detain Suspected Insurgents in Karabilah
FALLUJAH – Iraqi Army Forces and U.S. Special Forces conducted a series of raids Aug. 3, detaining three suspected members of an al Qaeda in Iraq cell believed responsible for facilitating Iraqi insurgents and foreign fighters with weapons in the Al Qaim area.
With U.S. Special Forces present as advisers, Iraqi soldiers detained the three suspects without incident in the vicinity of Karabilah, located on the Euphrates River east of Al Qaim. Various documents, identification cards and passports were also seized during the operation.
Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Operations Forces, detain suspected insurgents near Taji
FALLUJAH – Iraqi Army Forces and U.S. Special Operations Forces conducted a series of raids Aug. 3, detaining two suspected insurgents believed to be members of an al Qaeda in Iraq cell operating in and around the Taji area.
With U.S. Special Operations Forces present as advisers, Iraqi Soldiers detained the two suspects without incident at a targeted residence northwest of Taji. Four assault rifles, numerous rounds of ammunition and multiple identification cards were also seized during the operation.
The detained individuals are suspected members of an al Qaeda in Iraq cell believed to be responsible for planning improvised explosive device attacks, smuggling weapons and facilitating foreign fighters in and around the Taji, Karma, Nasser Wa Salaam and Dra Dijla areas.
MND-B Apache crews destroy rockets
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Apache helicopter crews destroyed three enemy rockets and damaged five more at approximately 1 a.m. Aug. 4 southeast of Baghdad.
The aircrews from the 4th “Guns” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, responded to a request for support from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division.
The ground unit had positively identified eight enemy rocket systems, set to launch by a timing mechanism.Cleared by ground forces to engage the target, the air crews fired on the rockets, destroying three and damaging the other five.
The ground unit’s EOD team later conducted a controlled detonation of the damaged rockets.
Rashid clearing continues: multiple caches uncovered by MND-B Soldiers
BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Soldiers uncovered five weapons caches as clearing operations in Rashid District continued Aug. 3-4.
While searching an area with metal detectors, at approximately 10 a.m. Aug. 4, troops of Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, attached to Task Force Black Lion, 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, found four rockets, two rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two RPG rounds and a 60mm mortar tube. The cache was destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal unit.
Elsewhere, “Black Lions” from Company B, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment found three 10mm rockets with wires attached, three cases of American-made .50-caliber rounds and a large quantity of mortar rounds of various sizes.
Earlier that morning, Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, searched a house believed to be connected to an explosively-formed penetrator cell and found two sets of body armor and a ballistic helmet, as well as 19 cans of large caliber ammunition.
Also that day, Company A, 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, found five 120mm mortar rounds still in their original packaging.
Two more caches were uncovered on Aug. 3. The first munitions cache was found by Company B, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, as they searched an abandoned farm in east Rashid. An EOD team was called in to destroy the 50 .50-cal. rounds, three RPGs, a machine gun barrel, 100 7.62mm rounds, one high-explosive anti-tank grenade and 15 mortar fuse caps.
Later that day, Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Infantry Regiment, found seven sticks of explosives, seven blasting caps, an assault rifle and 13 full AK-47 magazines. The explosives were taken to a Coalition Forces base for disposal.
Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces Detain Three, Disrupt Samarra al-Qaeda Cell
BAGHDAD – AJI, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces conducted an early-morning raid Aug. 3 detaining two people believed to be responsible for improvised explosive device attacks in the Samarra area.
With U.S. Special Forces as advisers, the primary target was detained without incident. He is believed to be the al Qaeda in Iraq Emir in Samarra, One other individual present during the raid was also detained.
Iraqi Security Forces raided multiple targets in the surprise attack against the suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell.Iraqi Security Forces also recovered five anti-armor IED Canisters, five remote firing devices, batteries, metal machining bits, various IED manufacturing materials; two cell phones, five AK-47 assault rifle magazines, fake identification cards and pictures were also confiscated.
