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http://www.centcom.mil/CENTCOMNews/News_Release.asp?NewsRelease=20051013.txt
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
October 4, 2005
Release Number: 05-10-13
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OPERATION RIVER GATE LAUNCHED
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq – The 2nd Marine Division launched Operation Bawwabatu Annaher, or River Gate in English, in the cities of Haditha, Haqlaniyah and Barwana Oct. 4.
Approximately 2,500 Marines, Soldiers and Sailors from Regimental Combat Team – 2 and Iraqi Security force soldiers are participating in the operation, making it the largest operation in the al Anbar province this year.
The operation’s goal is to deny al Qaeda in Iraq the ability to operate in the three Euphrates River Valley cities and to free the local citizens from the terrorists’ campaign of murder and intimidation of innocent women, children and men.
Haditha is an important crossroads for al Qaeda in Iraq’s smuggling activities from the Syrian border. Once in Haditha, smugglers can go north to Mosul or continue on to ar Ramadi, Fallujah or Baghdad. The city is home to approximately 75,000 Iraqis, a vital hydro-electric power plant, and 28 schools.
Coalition and Iraqi forces located in western al Anbar province have seen a recent increase of al Qaeda in Iraq violence in Haditha. Last Spring, terrorists attacked Haditha General Hospital, the largest in western al Anbar, with a suicide car bomb, destroying more than half of the building with the explosion and ensuing fire. Terrorists also established fortified firing positions inside the hospital and used patients and staff as human shields as they attacked Marines from the hospital and later retreated from the Marine counterattack.
More information will be released as it becomes available.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE MULTI-NATIONAL FORCE-WEST PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE AT CEPAOWO@CEMNF-WIRAQ.USMC.MIL.
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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Oct2005/20051004_2922.html
Task Force Baghdad Responds to Attack; Terror Suspects Captured
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 4, 2005 – Iraqi troops assigned to a public-order brigade and U.S. Army soldiers fought off more than 40 insurgents in southern Baghdad this morning.
As the Iraqi units engaged the terrorists with small-arms fire, U.S. Task Force Baghdad units also responded to the scene, first with a quick reaction force, then with aviation, military police and armor assets.
By 11 a.m., additional Iraqi units had arrived to engage in the firefight. Iraqi army soldiers and special police commandos joined them.
Task Force Baghdad soldiers helped evacuate wounded Iraqi forces to military medical facilities.
Shortly before 1 p.m., Iraqi units began searching houses in the area in search of the terrorists. More than three dozen terrorists were killed, wounded, or captured in the engagement, U.S. military officials said. Initial reports indicate only three Public Order Brigade soldiers were killed.
Elsewhere, U.S. Task Force Liberty and Iraqi army soldiers uncovered information leading to a possible terrorist encampment during the discovery of a large weapons cache near Ghalibiyah at 12:30 a.m. Oct 3.
The cache was discovered after Iraqi army soldiers were attacked, returned fire and pursued the attackers to two large farmhouses in the area. Iraqi soldiers requested Task Force Liberty assistance, and then forces conducted a combined raid.
A search of the properties yielded two vehicles prepared as improvised explosive devices, one suicide bomber vest, 19 57 mm rockets, 18 SPG 9 anti-tank rockets, 16 rocket-propelled grenades, two launchers, 10 anti-tank mines, 20 mortars, 25 mortar fuses, three machine guns, two AK-47 rifles, and four hand grenades.
Also found was an Iraqi army uniform, two al Qaeda flags, an al Qaeda flier, an al Qaeda jihad book and miscellaneous medical equipment. Task Force Liberty explosive ordnance disposal personnel conducted a controlled blast to destroy the munitions.
Although the attackers escaped, they were later apprehended at a hospital, where one was receiving medical treatment for wounds received during the firefight.
In other developments, Iraqi security forces and multinational forces from Task Force Freedom, including troops from 172nd Infantry Brigade (Stryker Brigade Combat Team) and 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, detained 49 suspected terrorists, killed two terrorists, injured another two, and seized weapons during operations in northern Iraq from Sep. 30 to Oct. 3.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Iraqi Army Brigade, and U.S. soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, detained nine suspected terrorists during a cordon-and-search operation in western Mosul Oct. 2.
Iraqi police and U.S. soldiers detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a cordon-and-search operation in central Mosul Oct. 2.
Iraqi police seized a weapons cache during a search operation west of Mosul Oct. 3. The cache included mortar tubes, explosives, grenades and mortar fuses.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, detained eight individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Mosul Sep. 30 and Oct. 1.
Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, detained six individuals suspected of terrorist activity and seized weapons during operations in Mosul from Sep. 30 to Oct. 2.
Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment, detained two suspected terrorists during two separate operations in Mosul Sep. 30 and Oct. 1.
Soldiers from 65th Military Police Company detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity after being attacked with small-arms fire while patrolling in northern Mosul Sep. 30.
Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, shot and killed two terrorists, injured another, and detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Tal Afar Sep. 30.
Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, shot and injured one terrorist and detained four individuals suspected of terrorist activity Sep. 30 and Oct. 2.
In Baghdad, Iraqi army and U.S. Task Force Baghdad soldiers seized six individuals suspected of planting improvised explosive devices, detained two car-bombing suspects, and unearthed three weapons caches during combined and independent combat operations Oct. 2. Five of the terror suspects were captured in two early-morning raids conducted by Iraqi and U.S. forces.
At 2:30 a.m., soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Iraqi Army Brigade, teamed up with U.S. soldiers from 1st Battalion, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, to search an apartment complex. In less than 90 minutes, the soldiers captured three suspected terrorists believed to be responsible for placing roadside bombs in the area.
The second Iraqi-U.S. operation netted two more terror suspects in western Baghdad just before 4 a.m. The suspects are thought to be involved in a car-bombing cell.
At 8:10 a.m., Task Force Baghdad soldiers patrolling in southwestern Baghdad struck an IED. No one was injured in the attack, and the patrol caught two men acting suspiciously.
The patrol then searched two houses 100 yards from the scene of the attack and found bomb-making materials, including batteries, wires, timers and radio detonation devices. The soldiers also found two AK-47 assault rifles and two sniper rifles in the houses.
Task Force Baghdad soldiers, acting on an Iraqi citizen's tip, nabbed the sixth suspected roadside bomber just before 3 p.m. in northern Baghdad.
All eight terror suspects were taken into custody for questioning.
In other combat operations, Iraqi and coalition forces found three weapons caches in western Baghdad.
One of the caches was discovered lying out in the open in burlap bags, indicating the weapons were either about to be buried or were being recovered for a possible terrorist attack. The cache contained two machine guns with 150 links of ammunition, six AK-47 assault rifles with 16 full magazines, and eight hand grenades.
The second cache consisted of 76 artillery rounds, one missile, one rocket, 10 mortar rounds, and a mortar tube, base plate and bipod for firing the munitions.
Task Force Baghdad soldiers also found 10 mortar rounds, four rockets, five grenades, five AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, and three bullet-proof vests in a third weapons cache. The third cache also contained fake license plates and nearly 20 bombs.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq, Multinational Force Northwest and Task Force Baghdad news releases.)
Related Site:
Multinational Force Iraq