Good News From The War On Terror 1/14
Operation Phantom Phoenix: Pursuit of al–Qaeda continues
TIKRIT, Iraq – Operation Iron Harvest – a division-level operation in support of Multi-National Corps – Iraq’s Operation Phantom Phoenix – continues to pursue al Qaeda across four provinces of northern Iraq.
Within the first week of the operation, Coalition Forces and Iraqi Security Forces have detained 193 suspected extremists, killed 60 suspected extremists and found 79 weapons caches. These caches included over 10,000 rounds of small arms ammunition, over 2,000 heavy machine gun rounds, over 4,000 pounds of home-made explosives, over 300 pounds of TNT, approximately 100 improvised explosive devices in various stages, over 300 blasting caps, over 50 pressure plates, over 2,000 feet of detonation cord and many other items.
Finding these caches continues to reduce extremists’ ability to attack CF, ISF and Iraqi civilians. The discovery of 4,000 pounds of homemade explosives takes away the enemy’s ability to build eight more massive vehicle bombs of the type that have been destroying Iraqi infrastructure and killing innocent Iraqis.
Coalition forces disrupt foreign terrorist facilitation networks, eight detained
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists today during operations targeting al-Qaeda networks in central and northern Iraq.
During an operation in Samarra, Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist believed to be associated with a senior level al-Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitator. Reports indicate the suspect is tied to a terrorist network responsible for the flow of foreign terrorists, as well as the facilitation of money and weapons into Iraq. The suspect is also allegedly a relative of a terrorist who was killed by Coalition forces during an operation Oct. 6. The wanted individual identified himself to the ground force and was subsequently detained with two other suspected terrorists.
Coalition forces captured another suspected terrorist tied to foreign terrorist facilitation networks during an operation in Tikrit. The suspect is reportedly involved in the facilitation network operating between Tirkit and Samarra, and is believed to be a direct associate of an individual who uses his residence as an al-Qaeda in Iraq safe house for foreign terrorists. The suspected terrorist also allegedly has close ties to numerous terrorist leaders involved in the al-Qaeda network in Samarra.
During another operation targeting foreign terrorist facilitators, Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists south of Bi’aj in northwestern Iraq. During the course of operations, a civilian was wounded, treated on site, and transported to a military medical facility for further care.
Near Tarmiyah, Coalition forces detained one suspected terrorist while targeting a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq member believed to be involved in attacks against Iraqi citizens for not following Sharia law. The targeted individual is allegedly a close associate of the al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader for the network north of Baghdad, which is responsible for improvised explosive device attacks, extortion, intimidation, weapons trafficking and the facilitation of foreign terrorists.
During a separate operation nearby, the ground force detained another suspect while targeting associates of the same network.
Concerned Local Citizens turn in large cache to Iraqi Army soldiers (Baghdad)
BAGHDAD – Members of a Concerned Local Citizens group from the Karkh district in the Iraqi capital turned over a significant weapons cache they discovered to an Iraqi Army outpost there Jan. 12.
The Karkh cache consisted of 21 mines, two anti-tank rockets, two 53 mm rockets with launchers, two 152 mm artillery rounds, fuses and three boxes of TNT.
Helping remove unauthorized weapons and ordnance like this cache is an example of the effectiveness of Concerned Local Citizens to combat extremists and promote an end to violence by securing their neighborhoods.
A Coalition explosive ordnance team destroyed the cache.
This action is part of Multi-National Division – Baghdad’s offensive operation in support of Operation Phantom Phoenix to kill or capture al-Qaeda and other extremists in order to deny them rest and sanctuary in the city of Baghdad and the surrounding rural areas. AQI terrorists and other extremists are the root cause of the most horrific attacks against Iraqi civilians, security forces and coalition troops.
