Good News From The War On Terror 8/6
Adhamiyah residents oust terrorists from mosque, help uncover weapons cache
BAGHDAD — Fed-up with violent and indiscriminate terror tactics, a group of more than 80 residents of the Adhamiyah District on the east side of the Iraqi capital banded together to oust suspected terrorists from a local mosque Aug. 5.
The uprising led to a string of events over the next 12 hours that ultimately resulted in the arrest of 44 suspected terrorists and the capture of three weapons caches.
The initial take-over of the Abu Hanifa Mosque occurred at approximately 2 p.m., apparently triggered by news that terrorists had murdered two relatives of a prominent local sheik. As the news spread, angry residents joined the sheik to storm the mosque, long-believed to be a sanctuary for terrorists operating in the area, and ousted the suspected terrorists inside from the building.
Iraqi Army troops from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 11th Infantry Division responded quickly to control the situation and secure the area around the mosque. Residents led them to several individuals among those ousted from the mosque, who were suspected of being involved in terrorist activities. Thirteen suspects were eventually detained.
After order was restored, the Iraqi Army received a tip about a weapons cache hidden in the vicinity of the mosque. At approximately 7 p.m., Iraqi forces returned to the Abu Hanifa Mosque and uncovered a massive illegal weapons cache in an outside courtyard. The cache contained several already-assembled improvised explosive devices, dynamite, mortars, rockets, landmines, bomb-making materials and various weapons.
Shortly after midnight, acting on information volunteered by Adhamiyah residents, Iraqi forces and Coalition Forces from the 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, attached to the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, mounted a combined cordon and search operation of the Al Assaf Mosque in the nearby Maghrib neighborhood. The mosque was entered and cleared by the Iraqi Soldiers, who took three suspects into custody.
Immediately afterwards, Iraqi and U.S. forces returned to the Abu Hanifa Mosque area to investigate reports of additional weapons caches. Iraqi soldiers again entered the building to search the mosque compound and the cemetery behind it.
They discovered two more weapons caches, which contained two IEDs, 16 mortars, two hand grenades, a sniper rifle, remote detonation devices, radios and more than a dozen weapons. Twenty-eight suspects were taken into custody.
F-16 Fighting Falcons eliminate rogue JAM extremists attempting an attack on Coalition Forces
BAGHDAD – Two F-16 Fighting Falcons destroyed a rocket site being used by suspected Shi’a extremists linked to Jaysh al-Mahdi to target Coalition Forces Aug. 4 in the outskirts of Diwaniyah.
According to preliminary reports, more than three members of the extremist group at the site were killed in the bombing. The aircraft also destroyed a tractor-trailer used in the attempted rocket attack against the nearby military installation.A local citizen called in the tip to U.S. Special Forces to report the impending attack. Upon confirmation of the rocket site, close air support was used to eliminate the threat.
8 more insurgents detained in Marne Avalanche
KALSU, Iraq – Paratroopers from Strike Force Geronimo captured eight suspected al-Qaeda insurgents believed to be responsible for attacks against citizens and security forces in North Babil, during Operation Marne Avalanche, August 4 northwest of Iskandariyah.
Paratroopers from the 3rd Battalion, 509th Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division conducted an early morning air assault and raid after receiving reports pinpointing the suspects’ hideout.
One of the suspects was listed as a high value target on the brigade’s most wanted list. All are being held for questioning.
In addition to the eight detainees, pressure wire and other components used to construct improvised explosive devices were also found and were taken for use in the investigation.
In numerous precision raids during the first 10 days of Operation Marne Avalanche, the Paratroopers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Abn.) have killed seven insurgents and captured more than 80 others including seven cell leaders and other individuals identified as high value targets.
MND-B Apache crews kill four armed insurgents
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Apache helicopter crews killed four armed insurgents at approximately 1 a.m. Aug. 5 in northwest Baghdad.
The air weapons team of two Apaches from the 4th “Guns” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, was providing area security for 1st Battalion, 325th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Infantry Regiment, when the unit came under small arms fire.
The “Guns” Apaches saw five insurgents with weapons maneuvering through alleyways. After being cleared by the ground unit, the Apache crews engaged the insurgents, killing four and wounding one.
Local resident brings large cache to Soldiers
PATROL BASE INCHON, Iraq — An Iraqi man came to Patrol Base Inchon, Iraq, Aug. 5 with a truckload of explosives he found in a cache.
Soldiers of Company D, 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., helped the man unload the cache contents from his pickup truck into an unexploded ordnance pit near the patrol base.
The load consisted of two 155mm rounds and one 120mm round, two plastic pipes filled with homemade explosive, plastic gloves, 200 meters of command wire, 150 rounds of 14.5mm ammunition for a heavy machine gun, a 14.5mm machine-gun barrel, and 60 crush bar-type triggers for improvised explosive devices.
11 terrorists killed, 10 suspects detained in Coalition operations
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed 11 terrorists and detained 10 suspected terrorists during operations in the Tigris River Valley targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq Monday.
East of Balad, Coalition Forces conducted a raid targeting an al-Qaeda in Iraq emir responsible for carrying out attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces in Salah ad Din province. Immediately upon their arrival at the targeted location, the ground forces received heavy small arms fire. In self-defense, Coalition Forces called in close air support and confirmed seven armed terrorists were killed during the air engagement. Coalition Forces proceeded to secure the target building and detained two suspected terrorists.
Coalition Forces targeted a close associate of the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of the northern belts around Baghdad during a raid northwest of Tarmiyah. As they approached the building, armed terrorists engaged them with small arms fire. Coalition Forces, acting in self-defense, returned fire and killed three terrorists. The ground forces secured the building and detained four suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to the senior leader, whose network is known for deadly car bombings and attacks on Iraqi infrastructure.
Near the town of Khaylaniyah northeast of Baghdad, Coalition Forces conducted coordinated raids targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist network. As the ground forces moved toward their first objective, surveillance teams saw an armed man maneuvering toward a nearby canal. Coalition Forces called close air support to engage the perceived hostile threat. The terrorist was killed and Coalition Forces found him with a heavy machine gun.
The ground forces also discovered a weapons cache containing rocket-propelled grenades and a launcher, dynamite and an anti-tank mine. Coalition Forces detained three suspected terrorists during the operation.
In a raid east of Samarra, Coalition Forces detained one individual associated with a suspected senior foreign terrorist who is believed to support suicide bombing operations in the Samarra area.
Two terrorists killed, weapons cache destroyed
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed two terrorists, detained one suspected terrorist and destroyed a cache of bomb-making materials during an operation Aug. 4-5 in Diyala province.
Ground forces had set up a security perimeter for their operation near Kahylaniyah when a vehicle sped toward them and stopped. Two men armed with AK-47s got out of the vehicle and attempted to fire on the ground forces. Coalition Forces, reacting in self-defense, engaged the armed men, killing them.
During a patrol in the area, Coalition Forces discovered a house containing bomb-making materials and military-style equipment, including camouflage uniforms, binoculars and assault vests. In addition to mortar rounds, a drum of homemade explosives, wires and blasting caps, the ground forces found one fully assembled improvised explosive device. Coalition Forces cleared civilians from the area and military explosives experts conducted a controlled detonation of the house, which had several secondary explosions as the volatile weapons and materials ignited.
A Coalition Forces element stopped at a patrol base during the operation received small arms fire from a nearby palm grove. The ground forces, responding appropriately to drive out the hostile threat, returned fire with mortar rounds and suppressed the incoming fire. Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist during the operation for his alleged ties to the local al-Qaeda in Iraq network.
