Coalition Forces Conduct Raids, Seize Weapons, Detain Terrorists

American Forces Press Service ^

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, August 6, 2006 – Coalition forces conducted raids today and yesterday in two areas of Iraq, seized a large weapons cache and captured four terrorists Aug. 4, and detained three terrorists Aug. 3, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.

Coalition forces killed one man during a raid north of Bayji, Iraq, this morning.

Recent intelligence led troops to target terrorists responsible for an attack against an Iraqi army checkpoint near Hawija yesterday, officials said. The terrorists shot and killed five Iraqi soldiers and wounded two others during the attack. Intelligence led coalition forces to a location where the terrorists were suspected to be hiding.

Troops secured multiple buildings simultaneously after arriving at the site. The man tried to grab a weapon when coalition forces entered, so they engaged and killed him.

Many women and children were present at the raid sites. None were harmed and all were returned to their homes once the troops secured the area, officials said.

Elsewhere, coalition forces killed one suspected terrorist and detained 11 others during simultaneous raids near Taji yesterday.

Intelligence from several sources led security forces to target members of an al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell operating throughout central Iraq. The cell is known for improvised explosive device attacks and helping foreign terrorists carry out deadly attacks against innocent Iraqis and security forces in the region, officials said.

The coalition forces raided multiple buildings and detained the suspects without incident. During the assault, a vehicle rapidly approached the ground troops. The driver ignored multiple warnings to stop, so the troops engaged and killed the driver.

Upon approaching the vehicle, a working military dog indicated that explosives were present. Troops used a grenade to destroy the vehicle.

In another operation, soldiers of Battery A, 4th Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, seized a large cache of explosives and captured four terrorists in Adhamiyah in a predawn raid Aug. 4.

This raid was part of Operation Guinness, a battalion-level operation that was part of Operation Together Forward, a Multinational Division Baghdad operation concentrating on disrupting murders, kidnappings and bombings in Baghdad. The detained suspects are believed to have launched bombing attacks against coalition forces and Iraqi security forces.

In another operation, a local national’s tip led to the arrest of three terrorists Aug. 3 south of Baghdad and in a separate incident, two terrorists were killed while emplacing a roadside bomb.

While conducting an area reconnaissance mission, soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, along with Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were approached by an Iraqi citizen. The man claimed terrorists had killed his two sons and said he was willing to take the troops to homes in the area known by local residents to harbor terrorists.

The patrol continued their reconnaissance mission with the Iraqi citizen, who identified the three suspected murderers. The unit checked the names and obtained two sworn statements against the three suspects and detained the individuals for further questioning.

In a separate incident, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment scouts observed three terrorists emplacing a roadside bomb in southern Baghdad Aug. 3. After positively identifying the threat, the scouts engaged and killed two of the three terrorists, preventing a future roadside bomb attack.

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

[SandRat]

Every small success builds to the big Victory.

[AdvisorB]

[onedoug]

'Reads more like Vietnam.