Coalition Forces Detain Nine, Including Wanted Suspects

American Forces Press Service

June 4, 2008 - Coalition forces detained nine suspects in central and northwestern Iraq today, including three wanted men and four of his associates, military officials said. Coalition forces disrupted al-Qaida's bombing networks in and around Baghdad when they captured two wanted men and detained two additional suspected terrorists. One wanted man reportedly was involved in weapons distribution and car bombings. The other wanted man was detained in Taji, north of the capital, and is believed to gather intelligence for a bombing network in the area.

In Tikrit, coalition forces captured a wanted man and four associates who are believed to be involved in organizing suicide bombings and facilitating the movement of foreign terrorists into Iraq. In addition, detainee reports led coalition forces to a foreign-terrorist bed-down site west of Mosul, where they discovered and safely destroyed two terrorist safe houses.

During operations in Iraq yesterday:

-- Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, attached to 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, captured two suspects in the Doura neighborhood of Baghdad's Rashid district. The detainees were wanted by the Iraqi government for allegedly committing crimes and acts of violence against the Iraqi people and Iraqi and coalition forces.

-- In the Abu Tshir community of southern Baghdad, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, captured a suspected terrorist.

-- Soldiers from Troop A, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, discovered 30 mm mortar tubes, 60 mm mortar rounds, hand grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, homemade explosives, various ammunition, and a blasting cap during a security patrol in the Karb de Gla region of southeastern Baghdad. Five individuals were detained for questioning during the incident.

-- Coalition forces captured a wanted man and four associates in Mosul. Officials said the wanted man is an alleged security leader for al-Qaida in Iraq and is suspected of coordinating bombings against Iraqi police. Another man, wanted for allegedly facilitating suicide bombings and foreign terrorist movement for al-Qaida, was captured in Tikrit with one additional suspect.

-- Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division seized several weapons caches in Baghdad's Sadr City. The munitions included PKC magazines and rounds, AK-47 rifle magazines loaded with 7.62 mm rounds, anti-tank rockets, anti-personnel rockets, a missile, grenades and initiation fuses. Soldiers in the same unit found an RPG-7 and five anti-personnel rounds.

-- Iraqi soldiers in Sadr City seized numerous weapons caches that included Dishka rounds, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, an RPG warhead, 82 mm mortar rounds, 60 mm rounds, five 122 mm rockets, fire extinguishers, an armor vest with plates, AK-47 assault rifles, an RPK light machine gun, grenades, a 120 mm round, wire and a sniper rifle.

-- Iraqi soldiers discovered a homemade bomb in Baghdad's Rusafa district. The bomb consisted of an electronic initiator and a box of homemade explosives.

-- In Baghdad's Adhamiya district, Iraqi police found a GC machine gun and a sniper scope.

-- Iraqi national police detained a suspected insurgent in Baghdad's Kadhamiya district.

-- In the Karkh district of Baghdad, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers serving with 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, seized hundreds of 37 mm rounds.

-- Iraqi soldiers seized rocket components, RPGs, MP-5 magazines, and an armored vest in Baghdad's Karkh district.

-- In Baghdad's Sadr City, soldiers from 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, discovered 60 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, 82 mm mortar rounds, RPGs, mortar tail booms, and a grenade.

-- In the Baladiat area of New Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers found a homemade bomb, rocket warheads, rocket-propelled grenades, an RPG launcher, 7.62 mm rounds, boxes of various ammunition, a PKC rifle and an AK-47, a rocket motor, radios, RPG motors, blasting caps, flak vests, and pounds of explosives.

-- A tip from an Iraqi citizen led 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, soldiers to a weapons cache in Adhamiyah. It consisted of anti-personnel mines and a 57 mm rocket.

-- Soldiers from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, seized 60 mm mortar rounds, 60 mm mortar tubes, homemade explosives, grenades, AK-47s, 120 mm mortars, an improvised rocket, improvised rocket tubes, and a blasting cap in Rashid.

-- In Kadhamiyah's Shulla area, Iraqi soldiers, with soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, seized 82 mm mortar rounds while conducting a joint patrol. Members of 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, also worked with soldiers from another Iraqi army division to discover a 155 mm mortar round, 100 mm mortar rounds, 60 mm mortar rounds, homemade explosives, a grenade, a mortar accelerant, detonation cord, and a cell phone charger in Kadhamiyah's Khadra area.

In operations in Iraq on June 2, Iraqi special operations forces conducted an operation in eastern Mosul to capture a suspected terrorist who is believed to serve as a homemade-bomb-cell leader for al-Qaida. The man is suspected of numerous fatal car-bomb attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

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