Iraqi Forces Kill Terrorism Suspect, Arrest 21 Others

Compiled from U.S. Forces Iraq News Releases

Aug. 2, 2010 - Iraqi security forces killed a suspected terrorist and arrested 21 other terrorism suspects in various recent operations in Iraq, military officials reported.

Southwest of Mosul yesterday, Iraqi forces killed a suspected member of the Jaysh Rijal Tariqah al-Naqshabandi terrorist organization and arrested two others.

The Jaysh Rijal Tariqah al-Naqshabandi organization took shape after the December 2006 hanging of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Iraqi forces and U.S. advisors were searching for a leader of the terror group who has ties to other group leaders. When Iraqi forces entered a building in which the suspects were located, a man pretending to be asleep reached for a pistol under his pillow and engaged them, and Iraqi forces killed him. Analysis of his fingerprints determined that he had been detained previously for attacking Iraqi and coalition forces.

Information and evidence at the scene led Iraqi forces to identify and arrest the wanted terrorist leader and a suspected criminal associate.

In Jalulah yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested two suspected al-Qaida in Iraq criminal associates while searching for a suspected member of the terrorist group who allegedly is involved in assassinations, kidnappings, insurgent financing and imortar and bombing attacks. Iraqi forces had arrested another suspected associate of the wanted man July 31.

Also yesterday, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested a suspected Kataib Hezballah terrorist group member and three suspected criminal associates in Hussaniyah.

In eastern Mosul on July 31, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member who allegedly has direct involvement in the facilitation and manufacturing of vehicle bombs and roadside bombs arrested a suspected criminal associate of the wanted man.

In a separate July 31 operation in eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors who were searching for the same man arrested 12 other suspected criminal associates.

On July 30 in eastern Mosul, Iraqi forces working with U.S. advisors arrested two suspected criminal associates while searching for a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq leader who allegedly has close ties to senior leadership of the terrorist organization.

In other news, U.S. Forces Iraq officials released a statement that disputes reports that July was the "deadliest month in Iraq since 2008."

The statement specifically challenged reports that 535 people were killed in Iraq during July. "The actual total number of people killed in Iraq for the month is 222 due to enemy action, and the number of wounded is 782, for a total of 1,004 casualties," the statement said.

That total, the statement continued, includes 161 civilians who were killed and 526 who were wounded. Fifty-five members of Iraqi security forces were killed and 201 were wounded, officials said, and one U.S. soldier was killed and 27 were wounded in hostile action. Security incidents in July ranked third-lowest, U.S. casualties ranked second-lowest, civilian casualties ranked ninth-lowest and Iraqi security forces casualties ranked 10th-lowest, resulting in total casualties for July ranking eighth-lowest of all months since January 2008, officials said.