Troops Capture Iranian-backed Terrorists in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

Dec. 8, 2008 - Coalition forces apprehended three alleged Kataib Hezbollah terrorists in two operations early today in Baghdad's Rusafa district, military officials reported. Kataib Hezbollah is believed to be a surrogate group operating in Iraq on behalf of the Quds Force of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, coalition officials said.

During the first operation, coalition forces acted on intelligence information to captured three suspected Kataib Hezbollah members believed to be responsible for recent attacks against Iraqi civilians and Iraqi and coalition forces. In a separate operation in Rusafa today, forces targeted a suspected militant believed to be responsible for collecting intelligence information on Iraqi and coalition forces. The wanted man also is believed to be involved in attacks against coalition forces. He identified himself to forces and was apprehended without incident.

Also today, an operation near Baghdad netted a wanted man and three additional suspects believed to be his associates. The suspected terrorist is believed to be associated with al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Anbar province.

In Ramadi today, coalition forces captured another suspected terrorist believed to be associated with Anbar-area al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.

In operations yesterday:

-- A wanted man who is believed to have transported explosives and other weapons for al-Qaida in Iraq was captured near Abu Ghraib, west of Baghdad. The suspected terrorist also is believed to have connections to numerous al-Qaida in Iraq operatives in the area.

-- Coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist in Beiji, south of Mosul. He is believed to coordinate suicide attacks in the Tigris River Valley and allegedly was seeking materials to build suicide vests. Two additional suspects were detained for further questioning.

-- Forces detained two suspects during an operation targeting al-Qaida in Iraq foreign-terrorist facilitation networks in Mosul.

-- Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found a weapons cache in southern Baghdad's Rashid district. After receiving a tip from a concerned citizen, the soldiers found three rocket-propelled grenade launchers at a house in the Hadar community.

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