Nine Insurgents Killed in Iraq, 21 Detained; Weapons Caches Discovered

American Forces Press Service

, Jan. 26, 2007 – Coalition forces killed nine insurgents and detained 21 more this week in operations across Iraq. U.S Army soldiers observed six insurgents unloading AK 47 assault rifles into a building Jan. 23 near a gas station in central Ramadi. Soldiers attacked the insurgents with grenades and gunfire, killing three and wounding the three others. Later that morning, soldiers from an adjacent coalition post in Ramadi observed insurgents distributing hand grenades at the same building. Coalition forces killed six more insurgents who attacked the coalition outpost.

Elsewhere that day, Iraqi police, with U.S. Marines and soldiers from Regimental Combat Team 6 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, completed Operation Three Swords in Fallujah. During the operation, combined forces detained 21 suspects responsible for coordinating attacks against Iraqi security forces and coalition forces, military officials said.

In addition, combined forces rescued and treated three hostages inside a "torture house" and found a weapons caches containing two 14.5 mm anti-aircraft guns, high explosive mortar sights, rocket-propelled-grenade materials, a sniper rifle with a scope, and four assault rifles.

"This operation was successful in the fact that coalition forces were able to free three hostages and seize weapons used for murder and intimidation away from insurgents," Army Capt. Chip R. Rankin, commander of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 136th Infantry Regiment, said. "The Iraqi police led this mission with confidence, and it demonstrated their desire to provide a more secure mindset for the civilians within these areas."

Nearby, in Fuhaylat, Iraqi police and coalition advisors detained six suspected insurgent cell members. The insurgent cell is responsible for carrying out improvised-explosive-device attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, and it is linked to al Qaeda in Iraq, military officials said.

In Baghdad this week:

U.S. Army soldiers from 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division discovered three large caches Jan. 24 in the Jihad neighborhood. The caches contained seven rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, two mortar tubes, more than 80 mortar rounds, two 30 mm rockets, two heavy machine guns, two roadside bombs, one block of plastic explosive, and nearly 2000 rounds of small arms ammunition.

Insurgents detonated a car bomb Jan. 24 near an Iraqi police patrol in western Baghdad, killing four Iraqi policemen and one civilian bystander.

Insurgents detonated a motorcycle-borne IED yesterday in central Baghdad's Shoula market, injuring 13 Iraqi civilians and damaging two vehicles

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