Forces in Iraq Kill Enemy Fighters, Detain Suspected Terrorists

American Forces Press Service

June 30, 2008 - Coalition forces killed six enemy fighters and detained 22 terrorism suspects in operations over the past two days, military officials said. Using information gained from a May 21 operation, coalition forces conducted several operations yesterday targeting members of an al-Qaida in Iraq cell that operates in the Tigris River Valley, officials said.

Near Balad, coalition forces identified two suspected terrorists in a vehicle. The driver ignored coalition forces' warnings to stop, including warning shots. Coalition forces engaged and killed both men and found a weapon and military-style assault vest in the vehicle, officials said.

During a second operation near Balad, coalition forces identified four suspected terrorists in another vehicle who also ignored coalition forces' warnings to stop. Perceiving hostile intent, officials said, the forces fired shots, stopping the vehicle. Explosives and ammunition in the vehicle ignited, burning the vehicle and killing the four men inside.

In Beiji, forces detained nine suspected terrorists yesterday and three today. One of the detainees is suspected of providing safe houses for foreign terrorists who are responsible for attacks in the area.

In operations today:

-- Coalition forces captured a wanted man and another suspect allegedly tied to the al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist group in Baghdad.

-- Forces detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq operative in Mosul after an operation that netted two suspected terrorists, propaganda materials and equipment used for forging documents, officials said. Coalition forces also captured a wanted man suspected of being a leader involved in bombings and assassinations, and detained four additional suspects.

-- Coalition forces captured a man suspected of being an al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader in the southern belt around Baghdad. The man allegedly provides suicide bombers for attacks.

In operations yesterday:

-- A Baghdad resident led Iraqi national police to a weapons cache. The cache contained homemade bombs, mortars, mortar fuses, mortar charges and pistols.

-- A tip by an Iraqi citizen led Iraqi soldiers to a house in Baghdad's Amarah district that contained a large weapons cache. Soldiers seized rocket-propelled grenades, bombs designed to pierce armored vehicles, surface-to-air missiles and bomb-making materials.

-- A national police division reported confiscating about 150 weapons during a clearance operation in the Mashtal area of New Baghdad. The weapons included various rifles, machine guns and pistols.

-- The local "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group reported a weapons cache in Adhamiya to Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers. Soldiers seized hand grenades and various ammunition rounds including rounds designed to pierce armor.

-- Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team, along with Iraqi National Police, seized terrorist paraphernalia in multiple locations in Baghdad's New Baghdad district. The combined forces seized rifles, license plates, a detonator, rocket-propelled-grenade propellant, an artillery shell, identification cards and bomb-making materials.

-- Sons of Iraq members in Baghdad's West Rashid district turned over a munitions cache to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's 1st Brigade Combat Team. The cache was wrapped in plastic and contained rockets, seven RPGs, RPG propellant sticks, and mortars.

In other news from Iraq, the Iraqi national police received 82 Ford F-550 cargo trucks June 27. The Directorate of Interior Affairs arranged the transfer of the vehicles to the national police through the Iraqi security forces fund to speed up the development and capabilities of the national police force, officials said.

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