Troops Kill Four Suspected Terrorists, Capture 22, Destroy Weapons

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 30, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces killed four suspected terrorists and detained 22 others in Iraq over the past three days, military officials reported.

In operations today:

-- Coalition forces killed four armed terrorists and nabbed two suspects during an operation targeting individuals linked to an alleged terrorist training facility north of Baqouba. Troops also found and destroyed improvised explosive device materials, grenades, machine guns, military-style assault vests, and a vehicle containing IED materials and camouflage uniforms.

-- Ground forces detained three suspected terrorists, including an alleged facilitator of weapons, IED materials, vehicles and suicide bombers for use by al Qaeda and other terrorist networks throughout the Baghdad region. The suspect allegedly is also responsible for bringing monthly truckloads of weapons into northern Iraq for distribution to al Qaeda in Iraq networks across the Tigris River Valley.

-- Troops wounded and captured two suspects and detained two unharmed suspects early this morning during operations in the Baghdad area. The raid targeted an alleged financier of "special groups" leaders throughout the Iraqi capital. Military officials said the suspects' identities are being determined.

-- Coalition forces captured eight suspected terrorists south of Salman Pak during an operation targeting an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq cell leader reportedly involved in car bombings and foreign terrorist facilitation.

-- Troops detained three suspected terrorists in Tikrit while targeting suspected associates of the city's al Qaeda in Iraq leader, who was detained Jan. 25 for involvement in facilitating weapons and foreign terrorists, military officials said.

In other recent operations:

-- In the Andalus neighborhood of the Iraqi capital yesterday, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers arrested a suspected terrorist during an offensive operation supporting the countrywide Operation Phantom Phoenix. Troops with the Scout Recon Platoon of HHC, 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne, arrested the man after receiving reports he was in eastern Mansour. The suspect allegedly is a leader of al Qaeda in Iraq from the Iskandariyah and Haswah area, and is responsible for attacking coalition and Iraqi security forces south of Baghdad, military officials said. Troops are questioning him at a coalition detention facility.

-- On Jan. 28, concerned local citizens turned in a cache of rockets to coalition forces in the Rusafa security district of eastern Baghdad. Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, reported the cache contained 10 rockets. An explosive ordnance detachment personnel at Bab al Sheik joint security station disposed of the munitions.

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