U.S., Iraqi Forces Detain Suspects, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service

Jan. 27, 2009 - Iraqi security forces and U.S. soldiers detained suspected criminals and seized weapons in Baghdad's Rashid district yesterday. Iraqi national police and U.S. soldiers yesterday discovered a cache of 60 rounds of .50-caliber ammunition in an abandoned house in the Risalah community.

A short time later, U.S. and Iraqi soldiers and Iraqi police detained three suspected criminals in the Saydiyah and Risalah communities.

The troops also confiscated 15 AK-47 assault rifles in Saydiyah and a light anti-tank 66 mm rocket in the Aamel community.

In Jan. 25 operations:

-- Iraqi and U.S. soldiers confiscated an anti-armor mine and nine AK-47 assault rifles in Baghdad's Rashid district.
-- Iraqi national police and U.S. soldiers seized a weapons cache consisting of a rocket-propelled grenade, gun powder, grenade, a stick of dynamite, 1,000 rounds of machine-gun ammunition and 100 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition in Rashid's Shurta community.

In other news, Iraqi police and members of the "Sons of Iraq" civilian security group thwarted a homemade-bomb attack and arrested five suspected terrorists Jan. 24 in Tarmiyah, northwest of Baghdad.

The forces apprehended two suspects attempting to place a bicycle strapped with explosive devices near a funeral site. After questioning, the suspects led forces to a nearby cache containing propaganda, magnets, timers, homemade explosives, mortar fuses and batteries.

The suspects also led the forces to a site suspected of
housing other members of a bomb cell where three more were
arrested.

All suspects are in Iraqi police custody.

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