Terrorist Networks Disrupted; Three Terrorists Killed, 19 Detained

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 6, 2007 - Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 19 suspects during operations today to disrupt al Qaeda activities along the Tigris River Valley in Iraq. Coalition forces captured a wanted individual during an operation targeting alleged associates of the terrorist network north of Baghdad. The wanted individual is believed to be involved in the network's car-bombing operations, including procuring and delivering vehicles for attacks. As the ground force arrived at the area, an armed man emerged, maneuvering west of the target building. Coalition forces engaged, killing the armed man. The ground force detained five suspects in addition to the targeted individual.

South of Yusufiyah, coalition forces captured another wanted individual believed to be associated with the terrorist network in southern Baghdad and suspected of planning a potential attack on coalition forces operating in the area. The suspect also reportedly has ties to foreign terrorists and senior al Qaeda leaders operating in the Arab Jabour and southern Baghdad area. The wanted individual identified himself to the ground force and was detained along with another suspect.

North of Mosul, coalition forces conducted an operation targeting an alleged al Qaeda leader involved in weapons and financial facilitation in Hawijah. The individual reportedly commands numerous terrorists, whom he uses to conduct assassinations targeting Iraqi security forces. As coalition forces entered the target building, a man armed with a knife lunged at their position. They engaged and killed the man. Also in the building, the ground force discovered a man wrapped in a blanket with wires protruding out of it. They engaged and killed him. Six other suspected terrorists were detained on site without incident.

In another operation, five suspected terrorists were detained north of Bayji while coalition forces targeted an al Qaeda member associated with weapons and foreign-terrorist facilitation.

"These operations are further examples of the progress we've made against al Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. "We're continuously pursuing them, finding the places they hide and disrupting their ability to attack innocent Iraqis."

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)