Abrams Tank Crew Kills Attackers in Baghdad Fighting

American Forces Press Service

May 5, 2008 - An M1A2 Abrams tank crew fired a 120 mm round at two attackers on a rooftop, killing both, during fighting in northeastern Baghdad today, military officials reported. A nearby U.S. patrol had struck a roadside bomb, and two men on a nearby rooftop then engaged the Americans with small-arms fire. No U.S. soldiers were injured in the attack.

"When attacked or when we observe an imminent attack, we will respond with appropriate force," said Army Col. Allen Batschelet, Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division chief of staff.

In yesterday's operations in Iraq:

-- U.S. soldiers killed four enemy fighters in the New Baghdad district of eastern Baghdad. "These criminals have no concern for the future of Iraq. We will continue to use all available resources to end these attacks and defend ourselves and the people of Iraq," said Army Maj. Alan Stout, a Multinational Division Baghdad spokesman. "Coalition forces, along with our Iraqi counterparts, remain steadfast in fighting these violators of the rule of law."

-- An aerial weapons team used a Hellfire missile to kill three men preparing to launch an attack in Baghdad's Sadr City section. An earlier indirect-fire attack occurred from the same location. Later, a U.S. patrol killed a man who was seen planting a roadside bomb.

-- U.S. soldiers on patrol in southwestern Baghdad were attacked with enemy small-arms fire. Air-to-ground support was called in, and a Hellfire missile and 30 mm rounds killed three attackers.

-- U.S. soldiers found a weapons cache during a patrol in the West Rashid district of southwestern Baghdad. The cache contained eight rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, seven 81 mm mortar rounds, five 60 mm mortar rounds, a bag of grenades, a 70 mm rocket, eight Iranian-made mortar rounds, five cans of homemade explosives, a bag of explosives, a homemade bomb, a sniper rifle, an AK-47 rifle, and a box of machine-gun and shotgun rounds. "Criminal elements are trying to destabilize Iraqi society through indiscriminate violence and criminal activity," said Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division spokesman. "By taking these weapons off the streets, we are making Baghdad safer."

-- U.S. soldiers operating in Baghdad's Sadr City area used unmanned aerial vehicles to kill five enemy fighters.

In May 3 operations:

-- Iraqi and coalition forces destroyed an enemy command-and-control center with precision-guided munitions in northeastern Baghdad. Intelligence reports indicate the center was used to plan and coordinate attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces and innocent Iraqi citizens.

-- U.S. soldiers and Iraqi forces seized a weapons cache in the Risalah community in southern Baghdad. The cache contained armor-piercing bombs, police protective vests, ballistic plates, ballistic helmets, identification cards, Iraqi army uniforms, and machine-gun ammunition.

-- An Iraqi quick-reaction force cleared Basra's Latif neighborhood of illegal weapons, explosives and criminals. The Iraqi forces were deployed to Basra from Anbar province April 1 to help local Iraqi forces establish security in the city. The Iraqi troops have cleared Basra's Quibla, Hyyaniyah, Huteen, Jumhuriya and Latif neighborhoods. These operations have resulted in the detention of dozens of criminals, netted hundreds of mortars and rockets, machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition, officials said.

-- Iraqi security forces detained 26 suspected terrorists during various operations in Diyala and Ninevah provinces. In Ninevah, nine suspected terrorists were detained in eastern Mosul, and 10 were detained during an intelligence-driven operation in southern Mosul. In Diyala, seven suspected terrorists were detained. Three of the seven were detained in Baqouba.

-- Iraqi soldiers and commandos advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained a mid-level al-Qaida in Iraq leader and detained six other suspected terrorists in an operation in Sadiya, about 55 miles northeast of Baghdad.

-- A citizen's tip led to a cache find in Kartani Fahal village in Sadr Yusifiyah, about 25 kilometers southwest of Baghdad. A "Sons of Iraq" citizen security detachment recovered the cache with Iraqi soldiers providing security. The cache contained: 36 mortars, 17 rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, 11 rocket-propelled-grenade launch motors, an improvised rocket launcher, two rockets, a hand grenade, seven 50-pound bags of homemade explosives, more than 300 rounds and 400 blasting cap primers, a mortar tripod and three mortar tube sights, as well as other bomb-making materials.

In May 2 operations:

-- Coalition forces found four armor-piercing bombs in the southern Baghdad community of Warij. A new 107 mm rocket also was discovered, along with 40 pounds of explosives, a rocket sled and blasting caps. One person was detained for further questioning.
-- Iraqi commandos advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers captured a suspected mid-level Iranian-backed "special groups" leader and detained a member of his group in Baghdad. The detained insurgent leader is linked to attacks against Iraqi troops and coalition forces in Baghdad, as well as acts of kidnapping and murder.

-- An Iraqi special weapons and tactics team from Hillah arrested two suspected members of a criminal group and four of their associates during an overnight operation near Jabella, about 55 miles southeast of Baghdad. The detainees are linked to attacks against a coalition forces base with indirect-fire weapons.

-- A Sons of Iraq citizens security group member turned in a large weapons cache to U.S. soldiers. The cache contained an anti-aircraft gun with 300 rounds, 17 rockets of various sizes, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher with seven grenades, a 120 mm projectile and other small-arms munitions. The contents were transferred to an explosive ordnance disposal team.

In earlier operations, U.S. Special Forces soldiers detained seven suspected insurgents and killed four during a reconnaissance patrol in the Jazeera desert, about 237 miles north of Baghdad, on May 1. "The detention of these seven individuals will also improve the security situation and help reduce attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces," said Army Col. Bill Buckner, a Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman.

Also May 1, U.S. soldiers killed five enemy fighters, detained 24, found two caches and two armor-piercing bombs in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)