Coalition Forces Kill, Capture Terrorists; Car Bomb Kills Iraqis

American Forces Press Service

April 20, 2007 – Coalition forces killed 10 terrorists and detained 42 in operations throughout Iraq today, and a car bomb detonated in Baghdad yesterday, killing five Iraqis and wounding 10, military officials reported. Near Mahmudiyah, coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists today. Another raid uncovered a building containing seven tanks of chlorine, which coalition forces destroyed.

Seven armed terrorists were killed after they fired upon coalition forces who were entering a building today. Forces on the scene detained 15 suspected terrorists who are allegedly tied to al Qaeda in Iraq.

One armed terrorist was killed today when coalition forces entered a building in Baghdad to conduct an operation to disrupt the Baghdad car bomb network. Six suspected terrorists were detained, and coalition forces found car bomb components in the building.

Another operation in Baghdad netted two individuals with suspected ties to the Baghdad IED network. Near Mosul, coalition forces detained 10 suspected terrorists in two separate operations to disrupt the al Qaeda network in northern Iraq.

"Terrorists continue to endanger the Iraqi people and security forces by using explosives, and we will continue to disrupt their networks across the country," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In another operation, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed two insurgents in a firefight after coming under small-arms fire from a mosque in a southwestern Baghdad neighborhood today.

Additional soldiers arrived to assist the element from the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, after gunshots came from the site of the Husayniayh al-Bayaa Mosque. Aviation support also arrived at the scene of the fighting and fired about 100 rounds of 30 mm ammunition. There was no collateral damage to civilians or the mosque.

After two insurgents were killed in the incident, soldiers searched nearby buildings and found chemicals in a house believed to be bomb-making materials. One suspect was detained from the search.

Iraqi army troops from the 1st Battalion, 1st Regiment, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, entered the mosque at about 2:30 p.m. No other suspects or weaponry was uncovered from this search. No U.S. troops entered the mosque.

In Baghdad yesterday, a car bomb detonated in the Rusafa security district, killing five Iraqi civilians and wounding 10 others.

Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, reported hearing an explosion at about 1:30 p.m. while occupying a combat outpost in the Karadah Peninsula area. The unit quickly sent a patrol to the site and reported five Iraqi civilians killed and 10 wounded.

Iraqi army and Iraqi police quickly responded and took over security of the site. This attack came the day after four car bombs struck the Iraqi capital April 18, killing 150 Iraqi civilians and wounding more than 200 others.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

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