Troops Catch 14 Suspects, Seize Weapons in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Aug. 18, 2008 - Coalition and Iraqi forces captured 14 suspects and seized scores of weapons and munitions in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.
In Iraq today:

-- Troops in Baghdad detained seven suspected terrorists, including a man wanted by coalition forces. military officials said the wanted man allegedly conspires with al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in the southern belt of the Iraqi capital.

-- Elsewhere in Baghdad, coalition forces launched a precision operation and caught a suspect who military officials believe is a liaison between extremist groups aligned with al-Qaida in Iraq and terrorist cells in the southern belt.

-- Coalition troops captured a man in Beiji wanted for his ties to al-Qaida in Iraq's overlapping foreign terrorist and bombing networks in the Tigris River Valley.

-- Iraqi police, acting on a tip, discovered nine mortar rounds, two rifles and ammunition in Baghdad's Furat neighborhood.

During operations yesterday:

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained three known criminal in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad.

-- Coalition forces in Mosul detained two suspected terrorists while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq operatives linked to networks that facilitate the movement of foreign terrorists into the country.

-- Combined forces confiscated weapons stockpiles in Baghdad and north of Karmah, and, a day earlier, near the border town of Amarah. The caches contained munitions rounds, assault rifles, bomb-making materials and other equipment, military officials said.

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