Two Enemy Fighters Killed, Dozens More Detained in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

June 2, 2008 - Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters, detained dozens of terrorism suspects and discovered several weapons caches in Iraq, military officials reported. Coalition forces used information from a May 15 operation that targeted associates of an al-Qaida in Iraq leader to lead them to areas in central and northern Iraq yesterday and today.

After encountering gunfire, the coalition forces fired back, killing two attackers.

Also during the operations, coalition forces found a car with bomb-making materials and suicide-vest components, and a weapons holding area. The force destroyed the weapons and detained eight suspected terrorists.

In other operations yesterday and today:

-- Coalition forces targeted al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders and their associates in Mosul. A precision operation netted a leader of terrorist finances in the city, and detained 16 additional suspects, 11 of whom are believed to be associated with other al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders, officials said.

-- Coalition forces captured two men wanted for their involvement in bombing networks in Baghdad. One of the men, believed to be an expert in car-bombing tactics, was detained today with another suspect in Taji. The other was detained today in Salman Pak, and allegedly is tied to senior terrorist leaders.

-- Coalition forces captured three additional suspected terrorists during two operations in Baghdad.

In operations yesterday:

-- Police in Baghdad discovered a cache in an abandoned building during an area reconnaissance mission in the Risalah neighborhood in the Rashid district of Baghdad. The cache contained mortar tubes, rounds, fuses and rockets.

-- Iraqi security forces conducted joint raids near Hit, detaining 49 suspects for possible connections with a deadly suicide-bombing attack near the city's government complex May 30 that killed four Iraqi police officers, five civilians, and wounded four police officers and 15 civilians, military officials said.

In operations May 31:

-- Iraq army and national police continued searching and clearing operations in the Abu Al Khasib district of Basra. The national police detained one suspect and discovered a cache of assault rifles and a sub-machine gun. The operation, which began March 25, continues to bring the surrounding area to normalcy, with infrastructure support missions focusing on canal clearing operations, substation repair and construction and road repairs, officials said.

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers captured the No. 2 key suspect in a bomb manufacturing and emplacing cell that operated in Tarmiyah, near Taji, and is responsible for numerous deaths.

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