Coalition Troops in Iraq Kill Five, Capture Eight Terrorists

American Forces Press Service

April 7, 2008 - Coalition troops killed five terrorists and captured eight suspects during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq today, military officials reported.

-- U.S. forces detained four suspected Iranian-backed "special groups" terrorists and killed another individual during an operation in Baghdad. The deceased terrorist was linked to an explosives and weapons network tied to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

-- U.S. troops operating in eastern Baghdad killed an insurgent and destroyed a vehicle used in transporting rocket-launching rails. The terrorists were seen to launch four 107 mm rockets toward a coalition forward operating base. The terrorists departed the launch site in a white van, which was subsequently engaged by missiles fired by a coalition aircraft. The vehicle and driver were destroyed. "We killed a terrorist from a rocket team involved in the rocket attacks on the International Zone in Baghdad," said Army Col. Allen Batschelet, chief of staff for Multinational Division Baghdad.

-- Near Taji, coalition forces targeted an individual who attacked "Sons of Iraq" citizen security groups with roadside bombs and has ties to al-Qaida leaders in the region. Coalition forces killed an armed terrorist during a gun battle. The deceased person was identified as the targeted individual. Another person was detained in the operation. Two civilian Iraqi women were wounded in the firefight.

-- Coalition forces targeted an al-Qaida safe house east of Balad, where a leader in the Baghdad car-bombing network was believed to be staying. Coalition forces engaged two men, killing both.

-- In Beiji, coalition forces detained three individuals. One of the detainees is linked to the movement of terrorists and materials and also was allegedly involved in the placement of roadside mines.

In yesterday's Iraq operations:

-- U.S. air strikes killed nine special groups terrorists during counterinsurgency operations in Baghdad. An American air weapons team used Hellfire missiles to dispatch the terrorists.

-- Coalition forces in Mosul detained three suspected terrorists while targeting a known associate of al-Qaida in Iraq regional leadership wanted for conducting and coordinating attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

In April 4 operations:

-- Iraqi police secured a weapons cache in Jabr al Ansari after receiving information from a detainee. The cache contained rockets, machine guns, a mortar tube and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher.

In other news, Iraqi forces in Qasim seized the largest explosively formed penetrator cache to date April 2. The armor-piercing munitions were loaded onto a 6-ton truck inside a garage. The cache contained more than 1,000 bomb-making components; more than 3,000 pounds of explosives; 45 107 mm rockets and stands; several devices used to detonate roadside bombs; 250 machine-gun rounds; 10 60 mm mortar shells and a 60 mm mortar stand. The rockets are believed to be Iranian-made, officials said.

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