Troops Kill Nine, Detain 15, Discover Weapons in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

July 9, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces killed nine insurgents, detained 15 others, and uncovered weapons during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said. In fighting July 7 near Diwaniyah, Iraqi and coalition forces killed nine militia members and detained four others. While conducting an operation to find a senior leader rogue militia member, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 8th Iraqi Army Division, and the Iraqi Hillah special weapons and tactics team received small-arms fire.

Ground troops called in coalition air support, which killed nine militants, destroyed two vehicles, and damaged two buildings the insurgents were using for cover during their attack, military officials said. Iraqi forces later detained four suspicious individuals during the operation.

According to military officials, rogue militia members have attacked Iraqi and coalition forces with rockets and mortars near Diwaniyah, including a July 2 attack in which the militia launched more than 50 rockets and wounded a coalition soldier.

No Iraqi or coalition forces members were injured during the operation, officials said.

Iraqi special operations forces and coalition advisors detained seven suspected militia members in a July 7 operation.

The Iraqi forces captured their targets without incident, military officials said. They also seized an automatic rifle and ammunition, a pistol, cell phones, ID cards and computer equipment. No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during this operation.

In Baghdad's Rashid district that day, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers sacked an explosively formed penetrator cell.

Soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment "Black Lions," 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, received a tip from a local citizen that an EFP had been emplaced along a major thoroughfare. Acting immediately, troops found the device and followed the command wire back to a nearby house.

Inside the house, the Black Lions detained three suspected cell members, military officials said. Troops also found a trigger device, four radios, a video camera, an Iranian Type-85 sniper rifle and a pistol. They also found a spool of wire, three EFP tubes, and three EFP pressure-plates -- equipment used to manufacture the deadly devices.

"The streets of Baghdad are safer now with the arrests of these suspected terrorists and the removal of their explosives and other implements of destruction," said Army Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. "We appreciate the Iraqi citizen's courage in coming forward to assist the Black Lions in safeguarding the area."

Earlier that day, insurgents attacked two patrols from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry "Warriors" in the Doura area of eastern Rashid. Troops killed three insurgents in the ensuring engagement, and a fourth was wounded and detained for further questioning, military officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)