Good News From The War On Terror 11/14
Iraqi Special Forces capture extremist leader in Taji
BALAD, Iraq – 9th Iraqi Army Division forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, captured an alleged extremist leader during operations Nov. 13 in the city of Taji.
The suspect is reported to control several extremist cells and to be one of the key individuals responsible for perpetrating violence against Iraqis in the south Taji area.
Several eyewitnesses report the suspect is personally responsible for the murder of at least 10 Iraqi civilians. He is also linked to multiple improvised explosive devices emplacements along a major U.S. military supply route and an IED attack against a Coalition Forces convoy Oct. 4 near Baghdad.
The raid was one in a series of ongoing operations led by Iraqi Security Forces specifically targeting extremist networks illegally operating within Iraq.
UPDATE: Coalition forces positively identify terrorist killed in recent raid
BAGHDAD– One of the terrorists killed in Tarmiyah Nov. 5 has been positively identified as Tha’ir Malik.
Tha’ir Malik was the al-Qaeda in Iraq leader for the Tarmiyah sector of the northern belt. Reports indicate Malik was previously involved in a terrorist group that conducted attacks against Iraqi citizens for not following Taliban-like rules.
During the operation, surveillance elements observed Malik operating in the area and supporting aircraft was called to strike the time-sensitive target. Secondary explosions erupted from the building, indicating that weapons and ammunition were stored inside. As Coalition forces cleared the surrounding area, they discovered two terrorists believed to be killed by the initial blast to include Malik, small arms ammunition and rocket-propelled grenades. The target building ignited from the secondary explosions, preventing the ground force from assessing the building’s interior.
Malik was a subordinate of Abu Ghazwan, the al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader of the northern belt and direct associate of Abu Ayyub al-Masri. Reports indicate that as Coalition forces operations captured al-Qaeda in Iraq elements in Tarmiyah, many of the northern belt leadership were forced out, but Malik remained and was promoted to military emir of the northern belt network. He was allegedly in charge of as many as 120 individuals and directed a variety of operations, including kidnapping, car-jackings, extortion, and attacks on Coalition and Iraqi security forces, and members of the Awakening. The previous AQI military leader for the Northern Belts who Malik replaced was killed as a result of Coalition Force operations last August.
Coalition forces detain 26 suspects targeting al-Qaeda networks
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces detained 26 suspects Wednesday during operations targeting terrorist networks in central and northern Iraq.
West of Samarra, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual and detained 16 suspects during operations targeting foreign terrorist financiers and al-Qaeda facilitating the movement of foreign terrorists into the region. The wanted individual is believed to be associated with senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leadership, including the alleged Saladin provincial leader.
During other operations along the Tigris River Valley, Coalition forces detained five suspects targeting foreign terrorist facilitators, propaganda operations and terrorists planning attacks against Iraqi Security forces.
South of Baghdad, Coalition forces captured a wanted individual and detained three suspects during operations targeting improvised explosive device engineers and terrorists operating in the Arab Jabour area.
Special Groups Leader captured by Coalition forces (Baghdad)
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces captured a senior Special Groups leader on November 4.
Intelligence reports indicate the suspected criminal was the Special Groups leader for Diyala Province and oversaw all logistics and operations in the area.
He was reportedly responsible for smuggling and storing Iranian weapons, and associated with the largest explosively formed penetrator, or EFP, cache found in Iraq.
While he is currently being cooperative with Coalition forces, he has allegedly used Iranian funding and training to support Special Groups activities.
He is also believed to be an associate of several other senior-level Special Groups members in Iraq who have been involved in attacks on Coalition forces.
Iraqi volunteers find 5 car bombs (Adhamiyah)
BAGHDAD – Five vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices were uncovered in the Al-Rhabi neighborhood of the Adhamiyah District Nov. 13 thanks to reports from Iraqi Security Volunteers.
Members of Troop B, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment and elements from the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division blocked off the Al-Rhabi Gardens in northeast Baghdad to dismantle five car bombs found in a parking lot.
Once isolating positions were established by the U.S. and Iraqi platoons, an explosive ordnance disposal team began investigating several cars, discovering the presence of the explosively rigged vehicles.
Coalition EOD personnel conducted controlled detonations of the five vehicles, rendering the area safe. There were no casualties or collateral damage to the surrounding area.
The Adhamiyah fire department was on site and quickly extinguished the flames after the explosions.
Following the mission, the Adhamiyah Security Volunteers continued to man their checkpoints.
The volunteers are men and women from this Sunni-dominated district who were trained by the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police to provide security for critical sites throughout their local neighborhoods.
The ISV operates a liaison cell at the Adhamiyah District Joint Security Station, which also houses elements from the Iraqi Police, the Iraqi Army and Soldiers of 3-7 Cavalry.
This cooperative effort has resulted in 14 weapons cache finds and the identification and eventual detainment of 12 suspected extremists by Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces.
Tip leads to large explosive cache (Baghdad)
BAGHDAD – Acting on a tip, elements of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 11th Iraqi Army Division and 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment conducted a cordon and search of a house containing several hundred pounds of components capable of making homemade explosives in the Adhamiyah neighborhood Nov. 12.
The chemicals were found in bags behind a false wall inside the home.
The components uncovered included nine bags labeled potassium nitrate, two bags of an orange powder, possibly urea nitrate, and one 50-kilogram bag of aluminum powder.
These chemicals, when mixed together properly, can form a deadly explosive.
After consulting the Iraqi Army officials, an explosive ordnance disposal team was called to conduct a controlled detonation inside the house, due to the instability of the explosives.
EOD was able to minimize the blast so that it did not destroy the house or neighboring homes. However, the potassium nitrate caught fire and damaged the interior of the house.
The local fire department was on scene during this event and was able to isolate the flames and prevent them from spreading to other homes.
