Iraqi Police Stop Suicide Bomber; 13 Suspected Terrorists Captured

American Forces Press Service

April 22, 2007 – Iraqi national police stopped a suicide bomber operating in the Sadr City neighborhood in eastern Baghdad at about 2:30 p.m. yesterday. Elsewhere, Iraqi and coalition forces captured numerous suspected terrorists and found several weapons caches. The bomber, driving a Toyota Costa bus, detonated the bomb as Iraqi police began searching the vehicle when it was stopped at an Iraqi national police checkpoint. The bomber was killed, and another Iraqi civilian was injured.

In other operations in Iraq yesterday, coalition forces captured 13 suspected terrorists in raids in central Iraq. Coalition forces captured two suspected of having ties to al Qaeda southeast of Baghdad, and 11 suspected terrorists were captured in raids west of Taji, north of Baghdad.

In operations April 20, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers captured a suspected al Qaeda leader north of Tarmiyah in an early morning raid. The soldiers, working off of tips from local residents, also detained 14 suspected insurgents. No U.S. soldiers were killed or wounded in the operation. All 15 suspects were detained for questioning.

Another suspected al Qaeda leader was captured in Nineveh province. With coalition advisors present for support, Iraqi forces raided the village of Fadiliyah and captured the suspect.

Iraqi forces also detained 46 suspected insurgents during the operation. The suspected leader is believed to be a mid-level member in the al Qaeda leadership responsible for the flow of foreign fighters in northern Iraq from Syria. No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during the operation.

In weapons cache finds April 20:

--Five suspected insurgents were detained when explosive device-making materials were found in the home of a suspected militia leader. Soldiers from a military transition team found the materials.

--Paratroopers from Troop A, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, found ammunition and detained the six suspects at a cache site south of Baghdad. The cache stored five charges for mortar rounds, two boxes of machine gun ammunition, and a box of various rounds of ammunition.

--Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers found a weapons cache containing 10 155 mm artillery rounds while on a joint patrol in Jisr Diyala. Iraqi police also discovered a cache there containing 100 155 mm shell casings.

All suspects are being held for further questioning.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Article sponsored by Criminal Justice online leadership as well as police and military personnel who have authored books.