Friday, August 18, 2006

Coalition Forces in Iraq Seize Several Weapons Caches, Detain Eight Suspects

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2006 – U.S. soldiers in Iraq seized several large weapons caches and detained eight terrorist suspects in operations yesterday. Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a large weapons cache during a cordon-and-search operation in northern Baghdad shortly before 1 p.m. The weapons cache included 21 AK-47 assault rifles, 55 magazines of 7.62 mm ammunition, 2 PKC machine guns, a Russian sniper rifle, tens of thousands of rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, a fragmentary grenade, four jihadist propaganda magazines, and a martyrdom recruitment poster.

Earlier yesterday, soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, detained six suspected terrorists north of Baghdad at about 3:30 a.m. The Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers conducted a search of several houses. The suspects are being held for questioning.

Elsewhere, soldiers from 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, assigned to Multinational Division Baghdad, detained two suspected
terrorists and seized a massive weapons cache in a warehouse during a search of Nur and Ghazalyia yesterday in support of Operation Together Forward.

The weapons and munitions seized included 272 120 mm mortar rounds, 212 82 mm mortar rounds, 99 60 mm mortar rounds, 33,800 14.5 mm rounds, 5,000 7.62 rounds, 90 5.56 rounds, 165 19 mm rounds, 104 rocket-propelled grenades, 240 23 mm rockets, 200 60 mm primers, 22 107 mm rockets, nine 069B rockets, 11 RPG rounds, two landmines, a .30 caliber shape charge, a crater charge, 11 fragmentation grenades, a machine gun, two AK-47s, a PKC machine gun, an RPK machine gun, two 14 mm machine guns, 20 full AK-47 magazines, ammunition drums, various loose ammunition, 5,000 feet of detonation cord, three bayonets, five 82 mm tubes, four 60 mm tubes, three 60 mm mortar bipods, four 81 mm mortar bipods, two 60 mm mortar bases, an 81 mm base, two land mines, an 81 mm mortar base, an aiming circle, two aiming poles, 54 rocket motors, and various bomb-making materials.

The suspected
terrorists were detained for questioning. All munitions and weapons were confiscated for destruction. Five hundred buildings were searched during the operation.

Operations have taken place in Doura, Shula, Ghazaliyah and Ameriyah from Aug. 7-16. During this time, Iraqi army, Iraqi police and coalition soldiers have cleared more than 23,000 buildings, 21 mosques, detained 54 suspected terrorists, seized 326 weapons, registered 341 weapons, found 10 weapons and munitions caches, and removed 900 tons of trash
.

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