U.S. Troops in Iraq Confiscate Munitions in Baghdad Raids

American Forces Press Service

July 1, 2008 - U.S. soldiers seized a quantity of munitions during four security operations conducted in Baghdad on June 29, military officials said.

-- Three smoke grenades and three hand grenades were confiscated in Baghdad's Adhamiyah section;

-- An improvised explosive device constructed from a 122 mm artillery shell was seized north of Baghdad;

-- Two explosively-formed projectiles were confiscated in Baghdad's Rusafa area; and

-- A 60 mm mortar launcher, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher and a machine gun were seized in Baghdad's West Rashid sector.

"Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers continue to comb the area and remove these weapons from the streets," said Army Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for Multinational Division Baghdad and 4th Infantry Division. "Each weapon and munition seized is one less that criminal can use against innocent Iraqi civilians."

In other news, Iraqi security forces detained nine suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members, and U.S. troops found a 100-pound bag of explosives-making material during five days of anti-terrorist operations across northern Iraq that ended June 28.

-- Iraqi soldiers detained five suspected al-Qaida members linked to a large-scale smuggling network during an operation northwest of Mosul on June 28. The suspects were detained at a suspected safe house in a village on the Syrian border. The Iraqi soldiers seized about 1,400 cartons of cigarettes valued at nearly $50,000. Money generated from sales of contraband cigarettes reportedly is used to support criminal networks and foreign fighters.

-- Iraqi soldiers detained a suspected al-Qaida leader and another suspect during a June 27 operation in Balad. The detainee is believed to be involved in small-arms-fire attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

-- U.S. special operations forces operating in Samarra recovered about 100 pounds of potassium nitrate bags from a suspected former al-Qaida safe house June 26.

-- On June 25, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team destroyed a fuel point in Tikrit that was linked to al-Qaida operations in the western part of the Jazeera Desert-Thar Thar region. During the same operation, the Iraqi troops also found a possible al-Qaida rest site.

-- In Beiji, an Iraqi emergency service unit detained two suspected criminals, one believed to be an al-Qaida facilitator, on June 23. The Iraqi forces also confiscated a small weapons cache consisting of anti-tank mines, rocket-propelled grenades, grenades, AK-47 assault rifles, rockets and more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition.

"Iraqi security forces continue to degrade terrorists' safe havens and networks in the northern regions of Iraq as they demonstrate their determination to seek anyone operating outside the law," said Army Lt. Col. Neil Harper, a Multinational Corps Iraq spokesman.

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