Coalition Forces in Iraq Seize Bomb-Making Components

American Forces Press Service

Sept. 7, 2008 - Iraqi citizens of Babil province yesterday led U.S. soldiers to the seizure of a huge amount of components suitable for the construction of deadly explosively formed penetrator-type bombs, military officials reported. Acting on a tip from local Iraqi citizens, the U.S. soldiers discovered more than 2,500 bomb-making components at three separate locations in an area southeast of Samrah Village in Babil province. Officials believe this discovery will significantly disrupt explosively formed projectiles attacks within central Iraq.

U.S. soldiers found the cache after a group of local Iraqi citizens informed them of a suspected cache location that had recently received more munitions. The Iraqi citizens gave the soldiers a notebook with sketches of the munitions and its general location and led them to the site where the cache was located. The soldiers used metal detectors to discover three separate locations where parts of the cache were located.

An explosive ordnance disposal team searched the cache sites and found complete components for EFPs along with C-4 explosives. The Diwaniyah Peninsula and the Samrah Jungle are known historic weapons trafficking locations in the area. Included in the cache were 414 blocks of Iranian M112 C-4 explosives, 860 copper plates, 501 back plates, 529 retaining rings and 157 steel bodies, which were all the type commonly used by the enemy to make EFPs.

"The Iraqi citizens made a significant decision to support their government and security forces when they provided the information that led to the discovery of this cache," said Army Lt. Col. John Casper, Multinational Corps Iraq's chief of operations. "In doing so, they removed devastating weapons from the hands of terrorists and placed their trust and confidence in a future for Iraq."

During other operations yesterday:

-- A vehicle-born improvised explosive device was discovered in Kirkuk. Coalition forces discovered the constructed car bomb in Kirkuk City and later disarmed it.

-- Three suspected insurgents were killed and a house was destroyed in Mosul when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated Sept. 6. The suspected insurgents were constructing the VBIED when it detonated prematurely. The blast also damaged four local civilian homes.

In Sept. 5 operations:

-- U.S. soldiers captured a suspected criminal during an operation in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. The detainee is a reputed explosives expert suspected of using explosively formed projectile IEDs against Iraqi and coalition forces.

-- U.S. and Iraqi soldiers confiscated explosives and other ordnance during searches in Baghdad. While searching a street in the Mansour district of Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers serving found nine blocks of dynamite hidden inside an empty store.

-- Acting on a tip from a local sheik, U.S. soldiers patrolling northwest of Baghdad seized a cache that included 12 cases of ammunition, two 122 mm canisters, a large amount of .50-caliber ammunition and a heavy machine gun barrel.

-- A Sons of Iraq militia member thwarted the emplacement of an improvised explosive device and U.S. soldiers arrested a Special Groups criminal in Baghdad's Rashid district. A Sons of Iraq member reported to U.S. troops that an individual had just emplaced an IED. An explosives ordnance disposal unit sent to the site detonated the device. U.S. soldiers captured the suspected Special Groups criminal in the Risalah community. The detainee was transferred to a forward operating base for further processing.

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