Troops Kill Four, Seize Large Weapons Cache in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 27, 2007 - Iraqi and coalition forces killed four suspected terrorists yesterday in an operation that also claimed the life of a child. Meanwhile, combined forces uncovered a significant weapons cache, military officials said. In a raid targeting al Qaeda networks north of Beiji, coalition forces saw several individuals maneuvering near an area reported to be a terrorist logistical base and safe haven, military officials said. The ground force called for supporting aircraft, which engaged and killed two suspected terrorists.

Later in the operation, troops saw two men in a vehicle approach a road block at high speed. The driver failed to comply with coalition forces' instructions to decelerate. The ground force fired warning shots, but the driver attempted to speed through the road block. The ground force engaged and killed both men in the vehicle.

Upon inspecting the vehicle, troops discovered a child inside who had been wounded during the engagement. Coalition forces administered immediate medical care before transferring the child to a military medical facility, where the child later died.

"We regret that civilians are hurt or killed while coalition forces work diligently to rid this country of the terrorist networks that threaten the security of Iraq and our forces," said Navy Cmdr. Ed Buclatin, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

Elsewhere in Iraq, national police members from the Khansa police station and coalition forces are conducting joint patrols around Baghdad to maintain momentum of security efforts in the Iraqi capital, military officials said.

During a recent joint training patrol in a junkyard filled with abandoned automobiles, soldiers from 54th Military Police Company, 95th Military Police Battalion, 18th Military Police Brigade, found a weapons cache containing five handheld radios, more than 2,000 7.62 mm rifle rounds, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, 29 metal plates, and four protective vests. Military officials said the amount of items seized in the cache likely will prevent future deaths in the al Khansa district.

Iraqi police requested explosive ordnance teams to dispose of the cache.

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