Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2625
Aircraft Attack Al Qaeda Haven, Ike Moves off Somalia
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2007 – A U.S. Air Force AC-130 gunship attack in Somalia on Jan. 7 targeted senior terrorist leaders, a senior Pentagon official confirmed today.
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman told reporters the attack targeted "what we believe to be principal al Qaeda leadership" operating in the southern part of Somalia.
Whitman declined to discuss damage assessments or the effectiveness of the strike, or future operations in the area.
The U.S. 5th Fleet moved the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower into the waters off Somalia in an effort to capture al Qaeda terrorists attempting to flee the country, a 5th Fleet spokesman said.
Whitman said the attacks were aimed at terrorists who may have struck the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. "We are going to continue to work in close cooperation with our allies in the region, who all understand the importance of pursuing terrorist activities and denying them safe havens," he said.
More U.S. ships are moving in to the waters off Somalia to reinforce the maritime interdiction effort there, said U.S. 5th Fleet officials. “Due to rapidly developing events in Somalia, U.S. Central Command has tasked USS Dwight D. Eisenhower to join USS Bunker Hill, USS Anzio and USS Ashland to support ongoing maritime security operations off the coast of Somalia,” said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Charlie Brown, a spokesman for 5th Fleet in Bahrain.
The ships will stop vessels and search them for al Qaeda terrorists attempting to escape from Somalia, officials said.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2632
Terrorists Killed, Detained in Iraq; Weapons Discovered
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2007 – At least three insurgents were killed, an al Qaeda cell leader was captured, and other suspected terrorists were detained through several recent operations in Iraq, military officials reported.
-- Soldiers from the 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, with support from coalition forces, are conducting raids today in Baghdad. Three insurgents have been arrested so far in the ongoing operation.
-- Soldiers from Company A, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, detained seven suspects and discovered a weapons cache yesterday in northern Baghdad.
-- Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army, yesterday discovered five rocket-propelled grenade launchers, seven AK-47 rifles, one sniper rifle, ammunition, and six mortar fuses west of Ghazaliya.
-- Iraqi police provided medical screenings yesterday for children at a southern Ramadi school. Police forces visited classrooms, talked with students and handed out backpacks, Iraqi flags, soccer balls and jerseys, stickers, toys and candy.
-- 5th Iraqi Army troops and Task Force Lightning soldiers killed three insurgents, detained several suspected terrorists and discovered multiple caches Jan. 7 during operations in Tahrir village.
-- 6th Iraqi Army Division forces with coalition advisors captured the cell leader of an illegal armed group Jan. 7 during an operation in the Salaam district of northern Baghdad. The cell leader is responsible for kidnapping and murdering Iraqi civilians and security forces.
-- Following a firefight with terrorists Jan. 7 in Tameem, Iraqi police captured insurgents, confiscated a mortar tube and uncovered a weapons cache.
-- Iraqi army and coalition forces killed several insurgents, detained several suspected terrorists, and discovered several large weapons caches over the past five days during operations near Turki village. The caches contained hundreds of rockets, improvised explosive device-making materials, small-arms munitions and dozens of anti-tank weapons.
-- Iraqi troops working with 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, soldiers discovered an improvised explosive device Jan. 7 while patrolling the fish farm area west of Iskandariyah.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)