Good News From The War On Terror 9/23
BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces detained a suspected criminal weapons smuggler during an intelligence driven operation Sept. 21 in Al Kut.
Intelligence indicates the criminal is a former Badrah Iraqi Police officer who now directs the smuggling of rockets from Badrah to Al Kut. He also directs rocket attacks from the Al-Shuhada neighborhood into surrounding Iraqi and Coalition facilities.
Intelligence shows he transported rockets used in an Oct. 10, 2006 attack on Coalition Forces. In addition to financing extremist militant efforts, the cell member is also involved in improvised explosive device attacks. Specifically he is linked to an April 28 IED attack that killed one Iraqi Policeman and wounded two.
Three other suspicious individuals were detained for furthering questioning.
In a separate operation targeting al Qaeda in Iraq criminals, Iraqi Army Forces detained a suspected al Qaeda cell leader specializing in improvised explosive devices during a raid Sept. 21 in Baghdad.
The Sunni extremist leader and his cell builder emplace and detonate vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices in the Mansour area of Baghdad to attack Iraqi Army and Police as well as innocent local residents.
On Aug. 24, the cell detonated an IED and killed three Iraqi Police and injured three others. On July 26, the group used a suicide vehicle borne IED to kill and injure Iraqis celebrating the Iraqi national soccer team’s Asian Championship. On June 30, the group emplaced two IEDs in front of a house and used the deadly devices to target an Iraqi Army convoy.
BAGHDAD – In two early morning raids, Iraqi Security Forces detained eight suspected criminals Sept. 22 in Diyala and Tikrit.
In the Diyala Province, Iraqi Special Operations Forces detained four suspected terrorists linked to a criminal financier and weapons trafficker. Intelligence reports that the regional financier facilitates weapons purchases with Iran in order to conduct trafficking operations that import improvised explosive devices, explosively formed penetrators and rocket-propelled grenades. In addition, he is alleged to have carried out extra-judicial killings of Sunnis in the Diyala area.
The assault force seized a weapons cache that yielded a sub-machine gun with an ammunition drum, a G3 assault rifle with two magazines, three sets of body armor, various documents and computer accessories.
In a separate raid in Tikrit, Soldiers from the 4th Iraqi Army Division detained four alleged criminals. Two of the detainees are believed to be responsible for numerous attacks against Coalition Forces including an Aug. 28 rocket-propelled grenade and small arms fire attack on a compound in Tikrit.
The raid is also believed to have disrupted a possible forgery operation where food credits from the social welfare system were being criminally filtered to insurgents. The forgery operation provides terrorist operatives with paperwork that gives them “displaced persons status,” allowing terrorists to transit the region, receive support from social welfare systems and obtain legal access to setting up residences in new areas.
While searching the objective, the scouts confiscated five weapons with ammunition and magazines, as well as sniper ammunition and forgery documentation.
10 terrorists killed, 22 suspects detained during operations targeting al-Qaeda
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed 10 terrorists and detained 22 suspected terrorists Sunday during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq in the central part of the country.
Southwest of Kirkuk, Coalition forces targeted an alleged emir of foreign terrorists for the Kirkuk province. As the ground forces secured the area, several armed individuals engaged Coalition forces. Responding in self-defense, the ground forces engaged the men and called in close air support, killing eight terrorists, some of whom were wearing military style assault vests. Inside one of the buildings at the target area, Coalition forces found a cache of weapons and military style assault vests that were safely destroyed by an expert explosives team. Iraqis on the scene said that six of the terrorists killed were foreign.
In another operation Coalition forces targeted an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader for foreign terrorist facilitation and involvement in a kidnapping network northeast of Samarra. When the ground forces approached the target building, they received small-arms fire. Coalition forces called for the occupants to come out of the target building and continued to be engaged. Responding in self-defense, ground forces engaged the terrorists, killing two. Additionally, two suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
West of Tarmiyah, Coalition forces targeted associates of an al-Qaeda in Iraq military emir of the northern belts around Baghdad. The ground forces detained seven suspected terrorists during the operations. One individual is believed to be associated with an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader responsible for weapons supply in the northern belt of Baghdad. During the operation, Coalition forces discovered military style assault vests, weapons and ammunition, and destroyed them on site.
Coalition forces conducted three operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders near Tikirt. Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists, including a suspected terrorist believed to be involved in the car-bombing network and in numerous attacks against Coalition forces and Iraqi security forces.
Further south, Coalition forces targeted another al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader involved in the car-bombing network in Baghdad. Five suspected terrorists were detained.
ISF thwart mass kidnapping in Nineveh province
TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces prevented an attempted hijacking by terrorists who targeted two buses filled with passengers in Nineveh province Sept. 22.
After receiving initial reports, Mosul Iraqi police informed 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division of the attempted hijacking and a company of Soldiers immediately responded and engaged the terrorists, killing one and injuring another. The remaining individuals fled while IA recovered the buses without injuring any of the passengers.
The two buses were enroute to Syria from Kirkuk. The passengers and buses were taken to a nearby combat outpost.
Militants detained by Afghan, Coalition forces
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Nine militants were detained by Afghan and Coalition forces in Andar District of Ghanzi Province, early this morning during a mission to disrupt militant extremist activity in the area.
Credible intelligence sources led the combined force to compounds in Andar District, which were suspected of housing the militants with ties to terrorist activities.
“Our multinational partnership is making significant strides in disrupting violent extremist influence in the region,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Combined Joint Task Force-82 spokesman. “Afghan and Coalition forces continue to strike major blows against terrorist networks so ordinary citizens may one day live in peace.”
The detained militants will be questioned as to their involvement in extremist activities.
Sept. 22 airpower summary: Loadmasters supply forces
