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NEWS RELEASE
HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND 7115 South Boundary Boulevard MacDill AFB, Fla. 33621-5101 Phone: (813) 827-5894; FAX: (813) 827-2211; DSN 651-5894 |
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Release Number: 04-02-34
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
4TH INFANTRY OPERATIONS FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS
TIKRIT, IRAQ - Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment captured two individuals suspected of attacking Coalition forces with rocket propelled grenades Sunday morning. The soldiers located and confiscated three AK-47 assault rifles and one bolt-action rifle.
A quick-reaction force from 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment responded to a rocket attack on a forward operating base. The soldiers went to the enemy firing position and found five rocket-propelled grenades, an electrical firing mechanism, four long tubes and one 120 mm rocket casing with batteries connected to the tubes. They also discovered two firing positions for tubes that were dug in with aiming stakes using the water tower on the FOB for reference. The patrol encountered a local man who had been in the area at the time of the attack, and he agreed to show them where he thought one of the attackers lived. The soldiers did not find the attacker at the identified house, but they did discover a second firing position that had five modified brackets for firing rockets. The brackets appeared to have been recently emplaced, and there was evidence that rockets had been fired from the position. The soldiers destroyed all the make-shift firing equipment.
An Iraqi citizen led a patrol from 555th Engineer Group to a location northwest of Duluiyah, where it found a 107 mm rocket set to detonate as an improvised explosive device. The soldiers also located three 120 mm rockets , one of which was wired for detonation. Other items confiscated included 11 blasting caps, one drum of AK-47 ammunition and a small amount of artillery powder. An explosive ordinance disposal team disarmed the IEDs and scheduled them for destruction.
Soldiers from C Company, 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division captured eight individuals, five of whom are suspected of being members of the Fedayeen, northwest of Kirkuk. The captured individuals are suspected of involvement in attacks on the airbase in Kirkuk. Soldiers located and confiscated one AK-47 assault rifle, one musket and documents from the former Ba'ath party.
In another incident 19 kilometers west of Kirkuk, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment of the 25th Infantry Division located and confiscated a weapons cache of 100 81 mm mortar rounds. The munitions are scheduled for destruction.
In a palm grove outside of the village of Mukisa, soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment discovered and confiscated one container of artillery propellant, one roll of detonation cord, one grenade, two blasting caps and nine magazines filled with 7.62mm ammunition.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment killed an attacker after he fired an automatic weapon at them from an adjacent rooftop while they were searching a house they had just raided in Muqdadiyah. They returned fire in response to the attack. The soldiers searched an additional two houses and detained three enemy known to be selling weapons. Soldiers confiscated four AK-47s and one shotgun in the raids.
An unmanned observation aircraft identified three individuals loitering approximately 15 kilometers north of Ba'qubah in a palm grove previously used by the enemy to fire mortars at Forward Operating Base Warhorse. The three individuals were joined by seven other men and began to emplace what appeared to be a rocket or mortar. An AH-64 Apache helicopter sent to investigate at approximately 8:50 p.m. observed the individuals attempting to flee. 2 Brigade Combat Team artillery fired at the location, killing at least one enemy. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment went to the site and found one complete 120 mm mortar system, one mortar base plate and one 120 mm mortar round. The remains of the attacker were turned over to Iraqi police. Soldiers are assessing whether there were additional casualties.
Fourth Infantry Division, cleaning up the Sunni Triangle ~ 