Three Suspects Killed, 33 Detained in Iraq Operations

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 2, 2008 - Coalition forces killed three terrorists and detained 33 suspects in operations targeting al Qaeda in central and northern Iraq this week. North of Jalula today, forces captured a suspect wanted for aiding foreign terrorists in Kirkuk, killing three and wounding another during the operation. Forces also captured three other suspects there.

Today in Samarra, forces captured a suspect wanted for propaganda operations and detained another suspect in a separate operation nearby. And in the Adhamiyah area, forces detained a suspect wanted for training terrorists.

In the northeastern Diyala River Valley region yesterday, forces captured four people suspected of an execution-style killing.

In Dec. 31 operations, forces captured 21 suspects targeting al Qaeda in central and northern Iraq:

-- In Kirkuk, forces captured two suspects wanted for bomb attacks. The two, believed to be brothers, are suspected of involvement in the Ansar al Sunna network operating there.

-- Nearby, forces captured another wanted suspect believed to be an al Qaeda in Iraq senior leader of the network operating in the Kirkuk province. They also captured another suspect in the same operation.

-- South of Samarra, forces caught five people suspected of helping foreign terrorists there. Forces also detained 12 suspects in Mosul.

-- A car-bomb explosion at a checkpoint near Mushada killed two members of a concerned local citizens group and wounded two others. Two more are missing, officials said.

In earlier operations:

-- Forces found and destroyed a weapons cache south of Baghdad, and concerned local citizens turned in another cache in Hawr Rajab on Dec. 29. In both caches, forces found mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and bomb-making materials.

-- Forces captured three suspected extremists Dec. 28 after receiving a tip from a local citizen in southeastern Baghdad. The suspects were detained for questioning.

-- In Baghdad, soldiers rescued a kidnap victim in western Rashid on Dec. 26. Forces also found rockets and about 8 pounds of homemade explosives.

-- Also Dec. 26, two suspects were detained for suspicious activity near Jisr Diyala on a road frequently used by coalition forces. One later admitted to placing an improvised explosive device on the road. Forces, however, searched the area and did not find a bomb.

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