Troops Target Foreign Facilitators in Iraq; 19 Suspects Detained

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 9, 2007 - Coalition forces wounded one suspected terrorist and detained 19 others today during operations to disrupt foreign terrorist networks in central Iraq.

-- Southeast of Fallujah, coalition forces targeted an associate of an al Qaeda network responsible for insurgent activities in the region, including car-bomb and improvised-explosive-device attacks. As coalition forces arrived at the target building, they were engaged by two armed men. The ground force engaged and wounded one of the men. The second surrendered.

-- Coalition forces conducted three coordinated operations south of Samarra targeting associates of an al Qaeda senior leader involved in anti-coalition attacks and foreign-terrorist facilitation. During two of the operations, forces requested supporting aircraft, which destroyed two buildings reported to be used by foreign-terrorist facilitators. The ground force saw secondary explosions from one of the buildings, indicating explosives were inside. The buildings were destroyed to prevent further use by terrorists.

-- Also in Samarra, as coalition forces secured a target area, they found a small weapons cache, including several machine guns, suicide vests and multiple assault vests with ammunition. The ground force detained seven suspects. To prevent further use by terrorists, forces destroyed two buildings and two vehicles known to be associated with foreign terrorists.

-- Intelligence reports led coalition forces east of Samarra, where they targeted locations believed to be safe havens for foreign terrorists. The ground force detained seven suspects on site.

-- During operations in Baghdad, coalition troops targeted a suspected terrorist believed to be involved with car bombs and a facilitator and trainer of suicide bombers. As forces secured the target area, they detained three suspects without incident.

"Foreign terrorists are trying to derail progress in Iraq," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "The people of Iraq are helping Iraqi and coalition forces hunt down these terrorists, making Iraq safer for everyone."

In operations over the past several days:

-- Coalition forces killed two terrorists yesterday during an operation south of Samarra targeting an individual believed to be an al Qaeda leader of the terrorist network operating in the Salahuddin province. Reports indicate the targeted individual is heavily involved in the production and facilitation of IED and car-bombing attacks, kidnappings, and small-arms and direct-fire attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces. The individual also is believed to lead a group of foreign terrorists, whom he allegedly uses to conduct car-bombing campaigns.

-- Soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army Division advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers captured a suspected extremist in an operation in Diwaniyah yesterday. The targeted extremist is believed to be involved in illegal activities and have knowledge of several weapons and munitions caches that support explosively formed penetrator and indirect-fire attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces.

-- In the Arab Jabour area Nov. 7, Iraqi citizens brought soldiers of 2nd Brigade Combat Team an IED made up of four 57 mm mortars. Soldiers of the 30th Infantry Regiment found a 107 mm rocket while conducting operations in support of Operation Centurion V, a battalion-sized operation designed to help erode enemy resources throughout Arab Jabour.

-- Soldiers from 2nd Iraqi Army Division, in partnership with coalition soldiers from 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, discovered 200 pounds of homemade explosives and detained nine suspected enemy fighters south of Mosul, near Qayarrah, Nov. 6.

-- Coalition helicopters from 4th Squadron, 6th Air Cavalry Regiment, assisted in killing four enemy fighters and destroying three enemy vehicles in eastern Mosul on Nov. 6 after the individuals were observed transferring weapons and demonstrating hostile intent. Multiple secondary explosions were seen from the vehicles, confirming their cargo of illegal weapons and ammunition.

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