Posted on 01/18/2008 4:21:22 PM PST by SandRat
BAQUBAH, Iraq – Iraqi Army Soldiers killed one enemy combatant and detained 53 suspects during a joint operation with Iraqi Police, Concerned Local Citizens and Coalition Forces in the villages of Buhritz Al-Abarra and Imam Ways, just south of Baqubah Jan. 14-16.
The operation, dubbed Viking Harvest II by CF, which is part of Operation Phantom Phoenix - a country-wide effort to eliminate al-Qaeda and other extremists in Iraq - also resulted in the clearing of more than 30 improvised explosive devices, the reduction of five booby-trapped houses and the discovery of two weapon caches.
Three CLCs were killed and seven Iraqi Police were wounded when a boobytrapped house they were clearing exploded Jan. 14.
The Iraqi Security Forces and CLCs took the lead in the operation, with U.S. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 12th Field Artillery providing support through blocking positions around the towns.
“This operation demonstrated the ISF’s ability to fight and execute large operations on their own,” said Maj. Harry Wakefield, 2-12 FA executive officer. “The success of this joint effort will degrade AQI and extremist operations throughout the immediate and surrounding areas, and make the area safer for all.”
Now that AQI has been cleared from the area, many local Iraqis are now returning to the villages, according to Capt. Brent Hoops, acting commander of Battery B, 2-12 FA, who noted that 375 displaced persons have returned to their homes so far.
ISF and CFs are currently in the process of standing up more CLCs, creating checkpoints, and establishing a permanent IA checkpoint to ensure insurgents do not return.
It’s kind of snowballing, aint it?
Yep.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.