Forces Capture 20 Terrorism Suspects in Baghdad, Mosul

American Forces Press Service

May 12, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces nabbed 20 terrorism suspects in operations yesterday in Baghdad and Mosul. Forces caught 19 suspects in the West Rashid and Kadhamiyah districts of Baghdad. Seven were caught while troops were talking with citizens in Kadhamiyah. Two others were caught during a search there, and four others suspected of planning bombing attacks were caught. Iraqi forces caught two suspects in Kadhamiyah. Four suspects were nabbed as part of Operation Tusker Chamberlain in West Rashid.

Iraqi special operations forces advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers yesterday caught a terrorism suspect wanted for murder in Mosul. The suspect is thought to be a mid-level leader for the Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for al-Qaida in Iraq. He is suspected of murdering four women and a senior Iraqi police officer.

Also in operations there, forces recovered two weapons caches. West of Baghdad, forces recovered a 55-gallon drum filled with more than 300 pounds of homemade explosives. In East Rashid forces found a cache of 122 mm rockets.

In other operations last week, forces detained two men and found a weapons cache near Maderiyah on May 9. A tip from an area citizen led the soldiers to a home where two suspected weapons dealers were staying. One of the suspects then led the soldiers to the cache, which held 16 57 mm rockets, a 23 mm anti-aircraft gun, two PKC machine guns, two AK-47 rifles, and nearly 2,000 rounds of related ammunition.

On May 6, coalition and Iraqi forces caught two suspects in the Mussayib area, south of Baghdad. The two are suspected of being the cameramen during a recent armor-piercing-roadside-bomb attack that killed a coalition forces soldier.

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