Troops Detain Eight Suspects, Discover Weapons in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 14, 2007 - Iraqi and coalition forces detained eight suspects and uncovered a weapons cache in Iraq over the past few days, military officials said. Iraqi soldiers with 9th Iraqi Army Division and U.S. Special Forces advisors captured an alleged extremist leader yesterday during operations in Taji. The suspect, responsible for murdering at least 10 Iraqi civilians, is reported to control several extremist cells, military officials said. He allegedly emplaced multiple improvised explosive devices along a major U.S. military supply route and carried out an IED attack Oct. 4 against a coalition convoy near Baghdad.

In Taji on Nov. 12, Iraqi special operations forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained two alleged al Qaeda in Iraq leaders. The extremist leaders and their networks are responsible for numerous IED, mortar, small-arms and car-bomb attacks that have killed several U.S. soldiers, military officials said.

Iraqi security forces and U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained four suspected members of a criminal gang during a Nov. 12 raid in the Sadiyah area of southern Baghdad. The alleged gang members are believed to be responsible for a wide range of criminal activities, including kidnapping and murder. Troops detained one additional person for questioning.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a weapons cache Nov. 12 during operations in Baghdad's Doura area. Troops with Company D, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, operating in southern Baghdad and attached to 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, found the cache hidden in an abandoned building. The cache contained more than 100 rounds of rifle ammunition, an old rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, an assault rifle bolt and bolt carrier, and an 82 mm mortar round. Personnel from an explosive ordnance disposal team recovered the weapons.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)