Troops Disrupt Terrorist Leadership, Bombing Networks in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Nov. 18, 2008 - Coalition operations further dismantled al-Qaida in Iraq's terrorist leadership and bombing networks throughout Iraq yesterday and today, as forces captured four wanted men and detained 14 suspected terrorists, military officials reported. Forces continued to strike terrorist leadership in Iraq last night. During an operation in Beiji, south of Mosul, forces detained a man believed to be associated with a terrorist leader in the city. Forces in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, detained four men believed to have connections to a senior courier in the Diyala al-Qaida in Iraq network.

Two synchronized operations today in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, degraded al-Qaida's bombing networks in the Tigris River Valley. During one operation, coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to house suicide bombers and facilitate al-Qaida meetings in his residence. He and three other suspects were detained.

A concurrent operation in Tarmiyah netted a second wanted man believed to train al-Qaida operatives on improvised explosive device construction and employment. The suspected terrorist, who reports suggest was actively planning a car bomb attack in the Tarmiyah area, surrendered himself to coalition forces, officials said. Four other men believed to be associates of the wanted man were detained for further questioning.

Terrorist bombing networks also were the target of a coalition operation in Beiji today. There, a wanted man associated with IED facilitation networks in the Tigris River Valley was captured. He surrendered himself to coalition forces without incident.

Ground forces in Mosul captured a wanted man, believed to be an IED facilitator, along with two additional suspects. The wanted man also is believed to be an administrator and operations planner for a terrorist organization affiliated with al-Qaida, officials said.

In other Iraq news, two terrorists were killed and four men were detained during intelligence-driven operations in Mosul yesterday and Nov. 16.

On Nov. 16, Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, killed two enemy fighters during an operation in the Amel neighborhood. The police officers also confiscated a 9 mm pistol and two fragmentary hand grenades.

During yesterday's operation, Iraqi soldiers and soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, captured four suspected terrorists in the Tameen neighborhood.

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