Good News From The War On Terror 9/25
Coalition Forces capture suspected Special Groups member
BAGHDAD – Coalition forces captured an Iraqi suspected of terrorist activity and detained six other criminals during operations early Tuesday in Baghdad.
Intelligence indicated that this criminal was a Special Groups member who specialized in the movement of weapons throughout Iraq for the terrorist network. The man was reported to have ties to several Special Groups senior leaders, as well as contacts with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – Quds Force members.
Sensitive intelligence information led Coalition forces to an area were they detained six other suspected terrorists. A vehicle that tested positive for explosive material was safely destroyed on site.
“Special Groups members, working with support from Iran, are criminals who jeopardize the security and safety Iraqi citizens,” said Maj. Brad Leighton, a Multi-National Force – Iraq spokesman. “Their IEDs often kill civilians, their mortar rounds often hit residential areas, and they attack from residential areas, placing residents at risk when Iraqi and Coalition security forces defend themselves.”
Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain 12 suspected insurgents during four separate raids
BAGHDAD – In four separate early-morning raids Sept. 24, Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained twelve suspected insurgents.
During one operation, Iraqi Security Forces conducted a security raid that resulted in the capture of an al-Qaeda in Iraq key leader and four suspected operatives near Tal ‘Afar. While clearing a row of homes in the village of Shaykh Ibrahim, the assault force received small-arms fire from one of the insurgents. The team responded with well-aimed suppressive fire and detained the armed terrorists. The targeted individual is believed to be an international financier with connections to several high-level al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders.
In a separate operation, Iraqi Special Operations Forces detained a suspected extremist cell leader and four cell members in Baghdad. The cell is responsible for improvised explosive device and mortar attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the Baghdad area.
The detained extremist cell leader in Al Baya’a and has allegedly participated in multiple IED attacks resulting in several U.S. Army tactical vehicles destroyed. The group is further linked to more than 10 Katyusha rocket attacks against the International Zone area of Baghdad July 13, 14 and 19. In addition, the group is known for conducting extra judicial killings of Sunni citizens, installing illegal checkpoints and murdering five Sunnis in August.
During the operation, the assault force received small-arms fire. The forces responded with well-aimed and proportional fire and continued on the mission. There were no casualties resulting from this exchange of fire.
In a later raid, members of the 6th Iraqi Army Scouts detained a suspected extremist special group commander in Baghdad who is thought to be responsible for conducting explosively formed penetrator, mortar and IED attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in Kamaliya and Sadr City.
The group he leads is suspected of conducting extra judicial killings of Sunni citizens, to include a March 22 IED attack and a Dec. 4, 2006 mortar attack against a Coalition installation in Baladiyat.
Another suspected extremist special group cell leader, suspected of establishing an assassination cell and killing an Iraqi Army officer, was detained in Ad Diwaniyah by members of the 8th Iraqi Army Scouts. He is additionally suspected of distributing large weapons caches of EFPs and IEDs to other insurgent cells within Ad Diwaniyah.
Five terrorists killed, 22 suspects detained during operations targeting al-Qaeda
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 22 suspected terrorists Tuesday during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq in central and northern parts of the country.
South of Musayyib, Coalition forces targeted and captured the alleged associate of a senior leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s car-bombing network in Baghdad. The suspect is also believed to facilitate the movement of al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders throughout the region. When Coalition forces moved toward the target buildings, they received small arms fire from an armed man. Responding in self-defense, ground forces engaged and wounded him. The injured man was transported to a military medical facility for treatment.
As Coalition forces continued operations, a group of individuals who emerged from the original target building maneuvered toward them. Ground forces called in close air support to engage the hostile threat. The ground forces assessed that four terrorists were killed in the engagement. Moving to another target area, Coalition forces called for a building’s occupants to come out, but they refused to comply. One individual maneuvered toward the ground force and, responding in self-defense, they engaged and killed the terrorist. Seven additional suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
In an operation in southern Baghdad, Coalition forces captured four suspected terrorists, one is believed to be a close associate to the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of South Karkh. Intelligence reports indicate the emir is a senior car-bombing facilitator in Baghdad who provides money, vehicles and weapons to numerous car-bombing cells in the southern belt of the city.
In the central part of the country, Coalition forces conducted three operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq key operatives and captured five suspected terrorists. Two of the suspects are believed to be involved in attacks against Coalition forces.
Farther north in Bayji, Coalition forces captured three suspected terrorists during operations targeting an associate to al-Qaeda in Iraq responsible for coordinating terrorists meetings in the Tigris River Valley. During the operation, a woman and a child were injured, treated on site and then transported to a military medical facility for further treatment.
In Mosul, Coalition forces conducted a precision operation targeting an associate of the emir of al-Qaeda in northwestern Iraq and captured two suspected terrorists. One of the individuals is believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq attack cell leader and is suspected of being responsible for transporting al-Qaeda senior leaders in and out of Iraq.
Three terrorists killed, 2 suspects detained
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed three terrorists and detained two other suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders in Musayyib Tuesday.
Recent intelligence revealed the location of a known al-Qaeda meeting place. Reporting indicated that several suspected al-Qaeda terrorists with ties to senior leadership were present and supporting aircraft struck the building.
Following the strike, ground forces found weapons, including one suicide vest and safely destroyed them on site.
Iraqi and Coalition security forces have successfully captured or killed several senior and mid-level al-Qaeda operatives in recent weeks including Rafid Latif Jasim Muhammed Sabah, also known as Abu Taghrid or Abu Azar, who was killed in an operation Sept 21. Taghrid was a key leader in the organization of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s Baghdad military and car-bombing operations.
ANSF, Coalition inflict heavy insurgent losses in Helmand province
BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Members of the 205th Afghan National Army Corps, advised by Coalition forces, killed more than 60 insurgents during combat operations near the Musa Qalah Wadi in Helmand Province today.
The combined force was conducting a combat patrol in the vicinity of Regay Village in an effort to clear the area of extremist Taliban. Several dozen insurgents attacked the convoy from an extensive trench system and several compounds with small-arms, machine gun, mortars and RPG fire. Taliban fighters reinforced their fighting positions from the village of Musa Qalah throughout the day-long battle.
The ANSF-led force repelled the initial attack with accurate small-arms and crew-served weapons fire. As the enemy force continued to reinforce their positions with additional fighters and attack the Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition forces from the buildings with machine gun fire, the ground force commander requested Coalition artillery and close air support.
Coalition aircraft and artillery effectively engaged the positively identified Taliban positions. The initial estimate by the ground force commander assessed that more than 61 insurgents were killed in the engagement.
Sept. 24 airpower summary: C-17s provide heavy airlift
