13 Terrorists Killed In Iraq, 14 Detained; Weapons Found

American Forces Press Service

April 3, 2007 – Coalition forces in Iraq this week killed 13 suspected terrorists, captured 14 others and netted weapons and bomb-making materials in various operations, military officials reported. South of Fallujah this morning, coalition forces killed six terrorists and detained seven suspects with alleged ties to a foreign fighter facilitation network.

As coalition forces began clearing the targeted building, several armed men fled and took up defensive positions along a river. Coalition forces called in close-air support to eliminate the threat. A fixed-wing aircraft responded and engaged with precision fire, killing seven terrorists.

After securing the area, several families told coalition forces that the armed terrorists showed up in masks and forcably took over their houses earlier that evening.

A separate raid in Qaim today, near the Syrian border, resulted in the capture of six suspected foreign fighter facilitators.

"Coalition forces continue to dismantle al Qaeda in Iraq and foreign fighter networks," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "These and other foreign terrorist facilitators are continuously putting innocent Iraqis in harm's way."

A coalition force air strike yesterday afternoon destroyed two buildings that were housing large caches of explosives materials in Arab Jabour. While searching the targeted building, ground forces had discovered large amounts of chemicals and bomb-making materials.

Coalition forces called in for air support to destroy the buildings to prevent the materials from being used against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi military and coalition forces in the future.

"No civilians were hurt during the demolition of these buildings," Garver said. "A careful analysis was conducted prior to the strike, and every possible precaution to avoid unnecessary collateral damage was taken."

During a routine patrol yesterday in Sab Al Bor, Iraqi police officers discovered the body of an 11-year-old Iraqi boy on Sudani Street. The child's throat had been slit in an apparent murder, military officials reported.

Troop B, 1st Squadron, 7th Cavalry Regiment soldiers received the initial report from the Iraqi police and assisted in gathering information. A police report of the incident indicated that a local al Qaeda cell is suspected in the murder which was "perpetrated to instill fear in the villagers of Sab Al Bor."

Iraqi security forces have launched an investigation.

During an evening operation in southeast Rashid on April 1, Iraqi national police and Multinational Division Baghdad forces engaged combatants in and around the Sahaby mosque after receiving small-arms fire from the building.

The Iraqi national police entered the mosque, while MND-B forces provided the outer cordon. One person was detained and taken to the nearest police headquarters for questioning. An alarm clock timer and several spent shell casings were also found inside. No MND-B troops entered the mosque or immediate premises at any time, officials said.

Iraqi police patrolling south of Baghdad on April 1 discovered a weapons cache containing mortars and munitions.

Military Transition Team members from 425th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, received a report from the Babil Provincial Joint Coordination Center that Iraqi police found two 60 mm mortars, 10 60 mm mortar rounds and a set of night vision goggles in Hillah, Iraq.

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