Coalition Forces in Iraq Capture Suspects, Seize Caches

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 28, 2008 - Coalition forces apprehended 11 suspected terrorists today as they continued operations to dismantle al-Qaida in Iraq networks throughout the country's central and northern regions, military officials reported. Coalition forces operating south of Kirkuk captured a wanted man believed to be a weapons dealer with connections to al-Qaida operatives in the Hamrin Mountains region. He also is believed to be a local al-Qaida leader who has contact with other regional leaders, officials said.

In Baghdad, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists, including a wanted man believed to conspire directly with regional al-Qaida leaders. Following his capture, the wanted man, who reportedly also is a financier for the organization, led coalition forces to a nearby residence, where they apprehended an alleged foreign terrorist facilitator.

West of Baghdad in Karmah, forces apprehended a wanted man who officials said intelligence reports indicate is an al-Qaida financial facilitator.

Forces targeted al-Qaida supply networks during two related operations near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. During the first operation, coalition forces captured an alleged logistics facilitator for al-Qaida in the Tigris River Valley region. The wanted man identified himself to coalition forces at the time of his capture. The man then led ground forces to a second location, where they detained another wanted man who intelligence reports suggest is one of al-Qaida's leaders in Tikrit.

Coalition forces captured four suspected Kataib Hezbollah terrorists in Abd ar Rahman, east of Sadr City. 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" – roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles – and other weapons such as rocket-assisted mortars.

Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted the residence of a suspected Kataib Hezbollah administrator with close ties to network leadership. Coalition forces approached the targeted individual's residence, where they detained four of his associates without incident.

In operations yesterday:

-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained an operative of an Iranian-backed enemy group during a targeted raid in the Rashid district's Hayy Aamel community. The patrol returned to a combat outpost with the suspect, who was wanted for indirect-fire and roadside-bomb attacks.

-- Soldiers from the same brigade's Company C found a roadside bomb composed of four 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds encased in concrete in a house in the Rahid district's Hayy Jihad community. A coalition explosives ordnance disposal unit responded to the site and found the bomb had no initiating device. Company C soldiers also seized three 120 mm mortar rounds, two 155 mm rounds and 10 pounds of homemade explosives attached to an egg timer while conducting a security patrol in the same community.

-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division's Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, responded to a tip from an Iraqi citizen and found an identical bomb, consisting of four 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds encased in concrete, in Rashid's Hadar community. The homemade explosive had a washing-machine timer and a cell phone, but was not wired to the explosives that were hidden in brush about 10 feet from a local school. An EOD unit responded to the scene to disarm the bomb.

-- Iraqi soldiers searching the Adl Clinic in Baghdad's Mansour district found a false wall hiding eight homemade hand grenades with fuses.

-- Iraqi soldiers arrested a man after finding two bombs in the underbelly of his vehicle in the Mansour district.

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