Coalition Forces Capture Wanted Men, Additional Suspects

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 30, 2008 - Coalition forces further debilitated al-Qaida in Iraq networks during operations yesterday and today, capturing four wanted men and detaining six additional suspects, military officials reported. Today in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man assessed to be associated with al-Qaida weapons and foreign terrorist facilitation networks in the region. One additional suspect was detained for further questioning.

Two more wanted men were captured by forces operating in Baghdad today. One of the men, believed to be an al-Qaida financier, surrendered to coalition forces and turned in his associate.

Forces in Mosul targeted al-Qaida's communication lines yesterday. A wanted man believed to be an al-Qaida courier associated with multiple regional leaders was captured along with three suspects during the operation.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained two suspected criminals during combat operations yesterday in southern Baghdad's Rashid district.

In the Jihad community, soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained and transported a suspected criminal to a nearby combat outpost. The suspect allegedly is responsible for indirect-fire and small-arms attacks, weapons trafficking and murder.

After receiving a tip from a local citizen, 4th Infantry Division soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected criminal in the Abu Tshir community. The patrol seized 81 mm mortar rounds, rocket-propelled grenades and rifles from his vehicle. The patrol returned with the detainee to a combat outpost for questioning.

In operations Oct. 28:.

-- In an operation in Khatoon, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team captured a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader believed to be responsible for planning and coordinating attacks against Iraqi security forces. He also is suspected of providing financial backing, logistical support, and safe haven for al-Qaida fighters in Khatoon.

-- In Salamiyah, southeast of Mosul, Iraqi special operations forces arrested a suspected leader of an Islamic State of Iraq terrorist organization cell responsible for murdering many Iraqi police in Mosul. The suspect reportedly commands insurgents in the village.

-- Acting on a citizen tip, Iraqi National Police officer seized a munitions cache in eastern Baghdad. The cache consisted of three 81 mm mortar rounds, three 60 mm mortar rounds, four RPG launchers, five RPG warheads, three RPG fuse assemblies, about 400 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and a Dragonov sniper rifle.

-- In Rashid, Iraqi special operations forces arrested a suspected criminal military cell leader on an Interior Ministry warrant.

In operations Oct. 27:

-- The Iraqi SWAT team in Kut detained two suspected criminal cell members. One of the individuals is said to be a facilitator who supplies weapons and provides financial support and a safe house, officials said. The other individual is believed to be an active member of a sniper cell.

-- In Baghdad, Iraqi soldiers captured a suspected Kataib Hezbollah militant said to have ties to an improvised rocket builder and facilitator. The individual is believed to be responsible for a rocket-assisted mortar attack on a joint security station in July. The suspect's cell also reportedly participated in RPG attacks in April and June. Kataib Hezbollah, also known as Hezbollah Brigades, is a terrorist group believed to receive funding, training, logistics and material support from Iran to attack Iraqi and coalition forces using what the military calls "explosively formed penetrators," or EFPs – roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles – and other weapons such as rocket-assisted mortars.

-- Baghdad National Emergency Response Brigade captured a suspected facilitator for the militant Kataib Hezbollah's improvised rocket-assisted mortars cell.

-- Iraqi special operations forces captured six suspected al-Qaida in Iraq cell members northwest of Mosul in Barzan. The cell members are suspected of bombing the Barzan police station earlier this month and attacking the Badoush Prison in March 2007.

-- A Tal Afar SWAT team captured four suspected al-Qaida members in the village of Ibrat Najar. The individuals are suspected of providing supplies to other al-Qaida terrorists in Mosul. Three Katusha rockets were found north of the village and were destroyed.

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