Iraqi, Coalition Forces Kill, Detain Terrorists

American Forces Press Service

April 18, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces killed seven terrorists, detained 79 suspected terrorists, and found numerous weapons caches in operations throughout Iraq over the past three days, military officials reported. Five terrorists were killed, four suspected terrorists were wounded, and 26 more were detained this morning during an operation near Karmah, a rural area northeast of Fallujah.

Coalition forces raided a group of buildings known to be used by terrorists and found explosive materials in one of the buildings. A helicopter used precision-guided munitions to strike the contents of the building. Secondary explosions at the site confirmed the material inside was explosive.

During the operation, coalition forces were engaged by a group of armed men and returned fire in self-defense, killing five and wounding four. The wounded were taken to military medical facilities for treatment.

Twenty-six additional suspected terrorists were detained during the operation. Women and children were present, but no civilians were injured in the operation.

In another operation, one terrorist was killed and eight suspected terrorists linked to al Qaeda foreign fighters and improvised explosive device networks were detained today in two separate coalition force raids.

One armed terrorist was killed and coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists west of Taji. The suspected terrorists are believed to be tied to al Qaeda in Iraq and a car bomb network known to use chlorine in its attacks. They are also allegedly involved in facilitating foreign terrorist movements.

"This capture disrupts a threat to the people of Iraq as well as coalition forces," Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said. "Terrorists continue to disregard the safety of all Iraqis, and we will persist in dismantling their networks that undermine the security of the Iraqi people."

In Mosul, three suspected terrorists with ties to the al Qaeda in Iraq network were detained.

Elsewhere, Iraqi special operations forces conducted several early morning raids in eastern Baghdad yesterday, detaining a target believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and murder of an interpreter working for coalition forces. In another raid, they detained four individuals suspected of being involved in death squad activities along with attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

With coalition advisors present for support, Iraqi special forces raided a residence in the al Kamalaya neighborhood in eastern Baghdad and captured the targeted individual.

The primary target of this operation is believed to be personally responsible for the kidnapping and murder of a female Iraqi interpreter who worked with coalition forces and is believed to be linked with extremist elements of the Jaysh al-Madhi, officials said. One automatic weapon was confiscated.

In the second raid in Sadr City, Iraqi special forces also detained four individuals believed to be involved in death squad activities as well as attacks on coalition and Iraqi security forces. They also seized one automatic weapon.

In other developments, coalition and Iraqi forces detained 33 suspected terrorists and discovered six weapons caches and five IEDs during a combat operation in the Shaka area, just south of Baghdad, April 16.

Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), and the 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, participated in the operation, dubbed Operation Eagle Lightning, as part of an effort to disrupt insurgents within the Shaka area and to deny enemy forces safe haven within that area.

The six caches consisted of a 14.5 mm anti-aircraft gun, 250 14.5 mm rounds, a sniper rifle, five empty artillery canisters, an artillery round, a canister with homemade explosives, five IEDs, eight rocket propelled grenade launchers, 200 loose rifle rounds, an RPG launcher, three ski masks, three magazine racks, two AK-47s, two flak vests, 12 AK-47 magazines, a grenade, a large caliber weapon with ammunition and an insurgent propaganda videotape.

During the operation, a total of 33 suspected terrorists were detained. The contents of the cache were destroyed during a controlled detonation conducted by the explosive ordnance team. The detainees were held for further questioning.

Iraqi security and coalition forces continued operations in Buhriz, Iraq, April 16, clearing the Baqubah neighborhood of terrorist cells responsible for murders, kidnappings and emplacing IEDs.

Soldiers from the Iraqi Police Emergency Reaction Force Two, 2nd Battalion, 5th Iraqi Army Division, and the 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted an early-morning air assault into Buhriz, resulting in five caches being seized, seven detainees captured and one terrorist killed.

The caches included items such as hand grenades, small-arms munitions, artillery rounds and IED-making material.

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

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