IED Kills Four Soldiers; Operations Net Terrorism Suspects

American Forces Press Service

March 16, 2007 – Four coalition soldiers died in a roadside-bomb attack today, and 34 suspected terrorists were detained in operations taking place over the past few days in Iraq, military officials reported today. The Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers died when two roadside booms targeted their vehicles in Baghdad.

A bomb detonated near the unit's vehicles as soldiers were returning from cordon-and-search operations, officials said. A second bomb detonated shortly after the initial blast, killing the four soldiers and wounding two others.

An explosive ordnance disposal team found a third bomb at the scene, a device the military calls an "explosively formed projectile" - a form of improvised explosive device terrorists have used recently that has proven deadlier than improvised explosive devices more commonly encountered. The EOD team conducted a controlled detonation of the third device.

This unit's soldiers recently aided in building several combat outposts and a joint security station in the eastern section of the capital, officials said, working with their partnered Iraqi security forces and continuing the ongoing transition toward Iraqi self-reliance.

Also in Baghdad, coalition forces detained 17 suspected terrorists over the past three days while targeting al Qaeda and foreign facilitation networks, coalition officials reported.

In an operation that began March 14, forces detained 12 suspects with alleged ties to al Qaeda and foreign fighter facilitation. Coalition forces found several AK-47s, artillery and mortar rounds, and bomb-making material.

A raid this morning in Baghdad resulted in the detention of four suspected terrorists with alleged ties to foreign fighter facilitation and anti-coalition forces activities.

In another operation, coalition soldiers killed an insurgent yesterday after spotting him unrolling wire to be connected to a roadside bomb west of Abu Ghraib.

Troops from the 5th Cavalry Regiment subsequently engaged the man with small-arms fire. No U.S. soldiers were injured during the incident.

In Mosul, a suspected terrorist with reported ties to al Qaeda was detained yesterday, military officials said.

"Coalition forces will continue to systematically target al Qaeda in Iraq and foreign terrorist facilitators regardless of where they may hide or operate," Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)


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