Coalition Troops in Iraq Kill Two Enemy Fighters, Capture 11 Others

American Forces Press Service

Sept. 12, 2008 - Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters and captured 11 others during a series of operations conducted in and around Baghdad and in western and northern Iraq today, military officials said. Coalition troops captured two terrorists affiliated with the Kataib Hezbollah network in New Baghdad. The network is linked to Iran's Quds Force.

Coalition forces killed two al-Qaida terrorists during an air strike near Qara Tappa, northeast of Baghdad, and three suspected al-Qaida terrorists were captured by coalition forces during operations south of Baghdad.

West of Baghdad in Ramadi, coalition forces detained five suspected terrorists, and an al-Qaida bomber-cell leader was captured by coalition forces during an operation in Kirkuk in northern Iraq.

In yesterday's operations:

-- U.S. soldiers detained four suspects during an operation in Baghdad's Rashid district.

-- U.S. and Iraqi soldiers posted in Baghdad found several weapons caches. The caches contained mortars, rocket-propelled grenades, improvised explosive devices, hand grenades, a pistol, machine-gun ammunition, fuses, IED-making materials, communication gear and tank rounds.

-- Coalition forces captured an alleged al-Qaida leader in Beiji. The detainee is linked to several local attacks, including a Sept. 8 attack that killed two Iraqi police officers and wounded four others.

-- Also in Beiji, coalition forces captured a wanted person linked to an al-Qaida bomber network that extends through the Tigris River Valley. Five additional suspects were detained.

In other news, Iraqi National Police seized two munitions caches and local "Sons of Iraq" citizen security group members turned in an assortment of ordnance during operations in Baghdad's Rashid district Sept. 10. The caches contained an assortment of rockets. The Sons of Iraq turned six 60 mm mortar rounds.

On Sept. 9, U.S. soldiers and Iraqi Police discovered Iranian-manufactured munitions during two separate operations. Acting on a citizen's tip, U.S. soldiers discovered a weapons cache near the town of Salman Pak in Iraq's Wasit province. The cache contained two shoulder-fired missiles, nine Iranian-made rockets, a mortar sight and a tripod. Near Hillah, Iraqi Police found a buried weapons cache. The cache contained 24 blocks of Iranian-manufactured C4 explosive and two propane tanks that were in the process of being converted into improvised explosive devices. U.S. soldiers transported the contraband to a nearby base.

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