Forces in Iraq Kill 11, Capture 24, Destroy Weapons

American Forces Press Service

May 19, 2008 - Iraqi and coalition forces killed 11 militants, detained 24 others and seized weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said. Using information gleaned in previous operations, troops in Mosul today captured two individuals while pursuing a foreign terrorist associate. In a Baghdad operation meanwhile, troops detained a suspect linked to a suicide-bombing network.

"These actions, and others like it, will continue until al Qaeda in Iraq stop the violence against the innocent people of Iraq," said Army Maj. John Hall, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

During operations in Iraq yesterday:

-- Troops in the Iraqi capital's New Baghdad district observed an armed man exiting a vehicle near their position and preparing to attack. Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers defended themselves and killed the would-be attacker, military officials said.

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers killed an enemy fighter attempting to plant a homemade bomb in the Iraqi capital. Troops later uncovered a weapons cache that contained mortar rounds, homemade explosives, rocket-propelled-grenade rounds, various weapons, and explosive-making materials.

-- Coalition forces captured eight suspects in Mosul and prevented a planned suicide-car-bomb attack. Military officials said two of the detainees are believed to be close associates of a terrorist leader in the city.

-- In two operations in Tikrit, troops nabbed six suspects, including a wanted man who allegedly leads a terrorist attack cell and funds terrorist operations. Forces also discovered a large sum of U.S. money in one of the raids.

-- Iraqi special operations forces detained two terrorists in the Ghazaliya area of western Baghdad. The raid targeted individuals suspected of murder, kidnapping, planting makeshift bombs, and displacing local Iraqis. One detainee is suspected of murdering a 24-year-old woman in December.

-- After receiving a tip from a citizen in northeastern Baghdad, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained an enemy fighter suspected of burying homemade bombs. Earlier in the day, troops in the area found a weapons cache consisting of assault rifles and ammo, three makeshift explosives, bomb-making materials, and one 60 mm mortar with fuse.

-- Iraqi police in Mosul discovered a buried weapons cache of nearly 500 rounds of munitions. The inventory included 120 60mm, 220 82mm and 100 120mm rounds, as well as 50 artillery rounds with rockets.

In May 17 operations in Iraq:

-- A coalition air strike killed six enemy personnel and destroyed a cache near Khan Bani Saad. Air support was responding to calls for assistance from ground forces that came under attack while attempting to disarm a homemade bomb.

-- Soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were manning a defensive position in the Sadr City district of the Iraqi capital when enemy fighters attacked with small-arms fire. Troops retaliated, killing three militants.

-- Iraqi and coalition forces detained three wanted men in Mosul, including two that allegedly conspired to conduct bombing attacks on combined forces. The other man is believed to have worked as a weapons smuggler for senior al-Qaida leaders in the city.

-- Troops in Abu Ghraib, about 15 miles west of Baghdad, captured a suspected terrorist during a raid targeting associates of an al Qaeda in Iraq leader operating in the northern belt around Baghdad.

-- Local citizens of the Iraqi capital's New Baghdad district turned over 10 mortar rounds and rockets of varying size to Iraqi army soldiers.

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