Troops Kill Terrorist, Detain 31 Others In Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 14, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 31 suspected terrorists, killed another and seized weapons caches in Iraq over the past four days, military officials reported.
In operations today:

-- Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist in Samarra believed to be associated with a senior level al Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitator. Reports indicate the suspect is tied to a terrorist network responsible for the flow of foreign terrorists, as well as the facilitation of money and weapons into Iraq, military officials said.

-- Troops captured a suspected terrorist tied to foreign terrorist-facilitation networks during an operation in Tikrit. The suspect reportedly is involved in the facilitation network operating between Tirkit and Samarra and is believed to be a direct associate of an individual who uses his residence as an al Qaeda in Iraq safe house for foreign terrorists.

-- During another operation targeting foreign terrorist facilitators, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists south of Biaj in northwestern Iraq. During the course of operations, a civilian was wounded, treated on site, and transported to a military medical facility for further care, military officials said.

-- Coalition forces detained a suspected terrorist while targeting a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq member believed to be involved in attacks against Iraqi citizens for not following Sharia law. The targeted individual is allegedly a close associate of the al Qaeda in Iraq senior leader for the network north of Baghdad, which is responsible for improvised-explosive-device attacks, extortion, intimidation, weapons trafficking and facilitating foreign terrorists.

In Mosul yesterday, coalition forces conducted an operation targeting a suspected terrorist who is reportedly in charge of an IED cell operating in the Risalah neighborhood. The ground force detained two suspected terrorists.

"Foreign terrorists who come here with the help of al Qaeda to commit murderous acts against the Iraqi people have no place in the future of this country," said Navy Capt. Vic Beck, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

Elsewhere in Iraq yesterday, coalition forces killed an armed man during operations aimed at further disrupting criminal element networks in the Baghdad area.

Coalition forces conducted operations at locations in the Baghdad area associated with weapons facilitation, transportation and storage of explosively formed penetrators and rocket-propelled grenades. During the assault of the initial target building, an armed man maneuvered against coalition forces and displayed hostile intent. After he ignored verbal warnings and continued advancing toward the ground forces, they engaged the armed man, killing him in self-defense. Coalition forces conducted the remainder of the operation without incident, military officials said.

"Coalition forces continue to dismantle terrorist networks that are seeking to kill innocent Iraqis and coalition forces," said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In Mosul, coalition forces detained 12 suspected terrorists Jan. 11 and 12 during coordinated operations targeting associates of al Qaeda in Iraq media cells and senior leaders.

In other Jan. 12 operations:

-- During an operation north of Taji, coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist believed to be associated with a senior level al Qaeda in Iraq foreign terrorist facilitator, and nabbed seven others. During a separate operation nearby, troops detained a suspected terrorist while targeting an additional associate of the network.

-- Coalition forces nabbed two suspected terrorists in Baghdad during an operation targeting an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq senior member of the terrorist media and propaganda network in the city.

-- A Ninevah special weapons and tactics team advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers uncovered a weapons cache during an operation in Mosul. Troops found 22 magazines for an AK-47 assault rifle, 15 explosive sticks, two bags of explosive propellant, nine electric blasting caps, nine 60 mm mortars, a mortar bipod, seven rocket-propelled-grenade boosters, four RPG-7 rockets, two hand grenades, a bag of propellant pellets, and an AK-47 assault vest.

-- Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist reportedly associated with facilitating explosive materials, vehicles and suicide bombers for use in terrorist operations in Baghdad. The suspect is believed to be linked to foreign-terrorist facilitators, and al Qaeda in Iraq and Ansar al Sunna leadership. Troops nabbed two other suspects on site.

-- A local Iraqi man alerted troops to the location of an explosively formed penetrator near a combat outpost at a main highway intersection. With the help of local Iraqis, troops found the 14-inch diameter EFP just south of the combat outpost.

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