Coalition Servicemember, 14 Insurgents Killed in Ramadi; More Insurgents Captured in Raids

Dec. 7, 2006 – Fighting in Ramadi killed a coaltion servicemember and 14 insurgents yesterday, and Iraqi and coalition forces captured other insurgents in three raids around Iraq this week. One coalition servicemember died when insurgents in Ramadi attacked Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces yesterday with a heavy volume of small-arms fire from numerous insurgent positions, including the Haqq Mosque. Troops returned fire with a combination of small-arms fire, machine-gun fire and main tank-gun rounds, military officials said.

When the enemy's attack continued, coalition forces used tank guns and precision-guided ordnance to destroy buildings used as insurgent fighting positions. Iraqi soldiers and coalition forces did not use precision-guided ordnance or fire their main tank guns at the mosque, military officials said.

Fourteen insurgents were killed in the fighting. No further details were available on the coalition servicemember killed. Three coalition members were wounded during the operations; there were no reports of civilian casualties.

Coalition forces must defend themselves when insurgents create situations such as occurred yesterday, Marine Lt. Col. Bryan Salas, a spokesman for the coalition, said. "While we are mindful to limit damage," Salas said, "we must respond with necessary and proportional force to protect our forces and Iraq from the insurgents."

Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, Iraqi police forces with coalition advisors conducted a raid in Abdan, near Tal Afar. They captured an insurgent associated with al Qaeda in Iraq and detained seven suspects during the operation. Military officials said they believe the captured insurgent has supplied weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq and provided enemy fighters a safe house for carrying out attacks against Iraqi security forces in the Tal Afar area.

In another raid yesterday in Bayji, Iraqi soldiers with coalition advisors captured an insurgent sniper believed to be responsible for direct and indirect attacks targeting coalition forces, including improvised-explosive-device and car-bomb attacks in the area, military officials said. The insurgent sniper is associated with other insurgent cells within Iraq. Iraqi forces also detained an additional suspect during the raid.

A day earlier, special Iraqi army forces with coalition advisors captured six suspected insurgents during a raid in Yusufiyah, south of Baghdad.

Military officials believe the insurgents are responsible for kidnappings, murders and improvised-explosive-device attacks against Iraqi civilians and security forces, military officials said. Iraqi forces detained nine additional suspects during the raid.

In the three raids this week, no Iraqi or coalition forces or Iraqi civilians were killed and only minimal damage was done to the objectives, military officials said.

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