Troops Capture 12 Terror Suspects; Bombers Target Iraqis

American Forces Press Service

March 30, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces captured 12 suspected terrorists today, and bombers continued to target Iraqis over the last few days, military officials reported. In Baghdad's Sadr City neighborhood, Iraqi and coalition forces captured a suspected criminal tied to explosively-formed projectile facilitation networks.

The suspect is believed to be involved with several violent extremist groups responsible for attacks against the Iraqi people and coalition Forces and facilitating the movement of EFPs into Iraq, officials said.

Near the Syrian border, coalition forces captured six suspected terrorists with alleged links to al-Qaeda and the smuggling of foreign fighters into Iraq. Five more suspects with alleged involvement in foreign fighter smuggling were captured in a raid north of Karmah.

Meanwhile, bombers targeting Iraqis have continued to strike. An explosion occurred at a Shaab Ur market last night. Coalition officials had no immediate information on how many people were killed or wounded, but said the 3rd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division responded to provide medical assistance and to secure the area. The market was closing down at the time of the attack.

Two car bombs killed four Iraqi police officers and an Iraqi civilian and wounded 16 others in southwest Baghdad yesterday. Initial reports indicate that the police officer and Iraqi civilian died when a bomb detonated near a patrol at about 8 a.m. near the Jihad neighborhood. Iraqi soldiers and police were investigating a suspicious vehicle when it detonated, officials said. Later, a second car-bomb detonated in Bayaa, wounding seven Iraqi civilians, including several children.

Shortly after the attacks, Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad troops established checkpoints and began to evacuate the wounded to local hospitals, while also searching for other possible car-bombs in the area.

A vehicle exploded between a market area and a mosque south of Baghdad on March 28, killing five people and wounding 20 others. Iraqi soldiers responded to the explosion and assisted in the evacuation of the wounded to the al-Hillah hospital. They also found an unexploded 82 mm mortar round was found.

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

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