Coalition, Iraqi Forces Kill, Capture Insurgents

American Forces Press Service

May 4, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces killed and captured dozens of enemy fighters and terrorists during operatrions conducted throughout Iraq over the past three days. Coalition forces captured two suspected Iranian-trained insurgents early this morning in the Rashid district in Baghdad.

Intelligence information led coalition forces to the location of an individual suspected of smuggling Iranian weapons. He is also suspected of providing information to other insurgent leaders that led to rocket attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces. The terrorist surrendered without incident.

Coalition forces conducted a follow-on mission to capture another suspect. There, they detained an individual identified as an insurgent.

Also in Baghdad, Multinational Division soldiers used an unmanned aerial vehicle to kill five insurgents in Sadr City during operations last night and early this morning.

"Criminal elements continue to put innocent Iraqis in harm's way by attacking Iraqi Security Forces and. Coalition soldiers from rooftops, alleyways and residential buildings," said Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, spokesman for MND-B and the 4th Infantry Division. "These criminals know what they are doing, and their actions prove they don't care for the lives of innocent civilians."

Yesterday, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed six insurgents after they were attacked during night operations.

Soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment were attacked with an improvised explosive device. As they secured their vehicles, the soldiers were attacked by criminals using small-arms fire. The soldiers returned fire and killed two criminals. No soldiers were injured in the IED attack or subsequent engagement.

In other combined operations yesterday, Iraqi and coalition forces destroyed an enemy command and control center with precision-guided munitions in northeastern Baghdad.

In southern Iraq on May 2, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team arrested two suspected members of a criminal group and four of their associates during an overnight operation near the city of al-Jabella, approximately 55 miles southeast of Baghdad.

Also on May 2, Iraqi Special Operations Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, captured a suspected mid-level insurgent leader and detained a member of his group in Baghdad.

In another May 2 operation in Warij, coalition forces found a weapons cache of explosively formed penetrators. Soldiers discovered four EFPs hidden in a closet shelf in a factory office. A brand-new 107 mm rocket was also discovered. The cache also included 40 pounds of unknown bulk explosives, a rocket sled and blasting caps.

In the Jazeera Desert in northern Iraq on May 1, U.S. special forces soldiers killed four and detained seven insurgents during a reconnaissance patrol about 237 miles north of Baghdad.

Also on May 1, other Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed five criminals, detained 24, found two caches and two explosively formed penetrators throughout a 24-hour period in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad.

The soldiers worked with Iraqi police officers to accomplish the mission.

(From Multinational Forces Iraq releases.)