Friday, September 07, 2007

Three Terrorists Killed, 18 Suspects Detained in Coalition Raids

American Forces Press Service

Sept. 7, 2007 - Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 18 suspected
terrorists during operations over the past two days to disrupt the senior leadership of al Qaeda in central and northern parts of Iraq. Coalition forces conducted two operations in Diyala province today targeting the senior leadership of al Qaeda in Iraq.

Ground forces raided several buildings associated with the al Qaeda emir of the northern belts around Baghdad, who oversees bombing, kidnapping and illegal court operations. After repeated requests for compliance from the building's occupants, coalition forces engaged and killed two of the men inside. Four suspected
terrorists were detained on the site, and the ground forces destroyed four vehicles used to facilitate the movement of terrorists.

In the other raid, coalition forces targeted an al Qaeda leader in Baqubah. The ground forces also detained two suspected
terrorists in the operation.

"We're continuously assaulting al Qaeda in Iraq to bring down not only their senior
leaders, but also the networks that conduct vicious attacks against the Iraqi people," said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In other operations today:

-- Coalition forces targeted an al Qaeda senior leader in Baghdad, who oversees a car-bombing network there. The ground forces detained four suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to the network and discovered bomb-making materials, which they safely destroyed on site.

-- Two coordinated raids targeted al Qaeda operational cells in Mosul. Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists, including a suspected cell member who led the ground forces to the alleged cell leader.

-- In a pre-dawn raid in Baghdad, coalition forces captured four military-aged males that may be connected to a high-value insurgent once affiliated with the Iraqi paramilitary Mahdi Army. Coalition forces conducted the raid to capture or kill weapons facilitators. The detained suspects also are believed to have distributed explosively formed projectiles smuggled from Iran to be used against coalition forces throughout Baghdad.

"Coalition troops remain relentless in the pursuit of
terrorist networks. We will go after anyone connected to any effort to bring (explosively formed projectiles) and other lethal aid into Iraq," Garver said. "Outside influence is hindering the prospects of peace and stability in Iraq."

In operations over the past few days:

-- Scouts from 6th Iraqi
Army Division detained an alleged extremist militant brigade commander and one other suspected terrorist yesterday near Baghdad. The suspect operates out of Karkh and leads a group of more than 750 insurgents to conduct bombing and sniper attacks against coalition forces and civilian contractors in the Aamel area. The suspects also are alleged to have ties to an execution committee that is responsible for assassinating innocent civilians fighting for a safe and secure Iraq.

-- Iraqi special operations soldiers detained four Shiia extremist militants during a raid yesterday in Baghdad. One of the targeted individuals is accused of murdering a member of an Iraqi unit and of distributing Shiia extremist propaganda in Hay al Amel. A second detainee is reported to be a physician who works in a public clinic in the city where he allegedly killed four other doctors. Forces detained two additional suspicious individuals during the mission.

-- Iraqi soldiers with U.S. Special Forces advisors detained two al Qaeda cell
leaders during an operation Sept. 6 in Adhamiyah. The Sunni extremists are responsible for conducting bombing and mortar attacks against civilians and coalition forces in the area. One of the detained cell leaders is allegedly an assistant al Qaeda financier. The second suspect directs and carries out attacks against coalition forces. A third individual also was detained for further questioning during the operation.

-- Iraqi special operations soldiers detained one suspected al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist during a helicopter raid in Fallujah on Sept. 5. The insurgent is linked to an al Qaeda cell responsible for mortar and bombing attacks against coalition forces and local citizens. During the raid, a
military working dog identified a truck outside the main targeted building as testing positive for explosives. After forces cleared the area, F-16 Fighting Falcons destroyed the vehicles with two precision-guided bombs.

-- Iraqi and coalition soldiers found two sizeable weapons caches while conducting clearing operations in southern sections of the Iraqi capital Sept. 4-5. Soldiers of 3rd Iraqi Army Division seized a cache of weapons, explosives and components used to make roadside bombs. Eight propane tanks were recovered from the site in West Rashid, along with several Chinese-, Bulgarian- and Iraqi-made rocket-propelled grenade launchers, homemade explosives, dynamite sticks, washer timers, a suicide vest and an assortment of batteries and copper wiring. The second cache was discovered in Doura, where soldiers confiscated a cache consisting of 44 assorted weapons, including AK-47 assault rifles, machine guns, grenade launchers, and a pair of sniper rifles.

-- Concerned Iraqi citizens recovered munitions from a cache and turned them over to soldiers in central Iraq on Sept. 4. The cache yielded a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, 30 large-caliber machine gun rounds, two mortar fuses, and three rolls of copper wire.

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

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