Forces in Iraq Catch 48 Suspects, Seize Scores of Weapons

American Forces Press Service

May 27, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 48 suspects and seized multiple caches of weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. Coalition forces captured a wanted man and 20 other suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists during separate operations in Baghdad and Mosul that concluded today. The wanted man is linked to a car-bombing cell involved in an attack that killed four Iraqi police, according to military officials.

"Iraqi and coalition forces are sharing information so our operations defeat the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist networks that threaten the Iraqi people," said Army Maj. John Hall, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In another operation today, coalition forces captured the suspected member of an Iranian-backed "special group" in Suwayrah, about 30 miles southeast of Baghdad. The suspect is an explosives expert believed to be responsible for coordinating and carrying out attacks on coalition forces in Wasit province, officials said.

Coalition and Iraqi forces yesterday and May 25 seized scores of mortar rounds, homemade bombs and explosive-making materials, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher and ammunition, assault rifles, and other military equipment in several separate raids around Baghdad.

In other May 25 operations in Iraq:

-- Coalition forces captured a wanted man and six other suspects in Mosul. Military officials believe the wanted man is linked to foreign-terrorist smuggling operations. Meanwhile, about 55 miles south of Mosul, troops in Sharqat caught another four suspects.

-- Troops seized seven suspected terrorists and a cache of weapons in the Baghdad area. Military officials said the suspects are linked to the al-Qaida in Iraq bombing network in the Iraqi capital.

-- Iraqi police detained five suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq members in Mosul and seized a large weapons cache. At the time of the operation, the uncovered weapons marked the eighth cache found in the Ninevah province within 72 hours.

-- Iraqi special operations forces captured the mid-level leader of an Iranian-backed group in Baghdad's Shuala area. Military officials believe the suspect led a 300-member group responsible for kidnapping and murdering Iraqi citizens.

-- Troops caught a wanted man in Tikrit, about 100 miles north of Baghdad. Military officials believe he is associated with al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the Tigris River valley.

-- Coalition forces captured a wanted man suspected of involvement with an al-Qaida in Iraq bombing network in the Tigris River valley.

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