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Troops in Iraq Kill, Detain Scores of Insurgents, Find Iranian Rockets
American Forces Press Service ^

Posted on 06/18/2007 5:36:13 PM PDT by SandRat

WASHINGTON, June 18, 2007 – Coalition forces killed 21 insurgents, detained 31 and wounded six others in Iraq during the past three days, military officials said. Meanwhile, troops there discovered six Iranian-made rockets. Coalition forces killed at least 20 terrorists, wounded six others and detained a suspect during operations this morning targeting secret cells operating in the Maysan province of eastern Iraq.

The detained individual is an alleged member of the secret cell terrorist network known for transporting weapons and explosively formed penetrators -- a particularly deadly, armor-piercing form of roadside bombs -- from Iran to Iraq, military officials said. The group also is responsible for bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for terrorist training.

In coordination with the Iraqi government, coalition forces conducted raids in Amarah and Majjar al-Kabir, where coalition troops came under heavy small-arms fire and rocket-propelled-grenade attacks.

Ground forces retaliated with close-air support to suppress the enemy fire, killing at least 20 terrorists. Military officials said the strafing wounded six suspected terrorists. Coalition fire also destroyed a vehicle being used by the terrorists as a fighting position.

“Terrorists learned this morning that there is no safe haven in Iraq,” said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “Coalition forces will seek out and find terrorists anywhere and everywhere in Iraq.”

Iraqi police detained four insurgents as they attempted to plant an improvised explosive device early this morning near Tikrit. U.S. surveillance helicopters from the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade engaged and wounded the four individuals after observing them carry and place materials into a hole. They are being treated for their wounds and have been detained for further questioning by local Iraqi security forces.

During operations today and yesterday to disrupt the al Qaeda car-bomb network in Baghdad, coalition forces detained 11 suspected terrorists.

Troops netted four suspected terrorists allegedly involved with the car-bomb cell this morning in southern Baghdad, military officials said. They captured another individual with suspected ties to a smuggling ring known for bringing bomb-making materials into Iraq.

In a raid in Baghdad and Haditha yesterday, coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists whose network supports Syria-based extremists and provides suicide bombers, vehicles and explosives for the cell.

“Disrupting the bombing network in Baghdad is a high priority for us, and we will continue to target the cells' leaders and members,” Garver said.

Yesterday, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment supporting Operation Marne Torch, detained five individuals while conducting a company-sized operation in the city of Duraiya. The purpose of the mission was to disrupt key insurgent networks from freedom of maneuver in the battalion's area of operation, military officials said.

To prevent insurgents from entering southern Baghdad, fixed-wing aircraft dropped four precision-guided bombs on targeted sites June 16, beginning the major Marne Torch offensive. The aircraft supported about 1,200 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, soldiers focused on the security belts surrounding Baghdad. The brigade's efforts are part of the larger operation recently announced by Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, Multinational Force Iraq commander.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and aviation assets discovered six rockets in a schoolyard yesterday in Baghdad’s Rashid district, military officials said. While aircrews from 4th Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment investigated an area suspected as the point of origin for rocket fire against Baghdad’s International Zone, they spotted suspicious looking objects in a school yard.

Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, assigned to 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, arrived 30 minutes later and found six Iranian-made 107 mm rockets. An explosive ordnance disposal unit later disposed of the munitions.

“Great teamwork and cooperation between vigilant Army aviators and our soldiers prevented those rockets from being used against the people of Rashid and the forces securing the district,” said U.S. Army Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, the 4th Brigade Combat Team commander.

In other news from Iraq, soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment on a mounted patrol in Baghdad's Adhamiyah District on June 16 received small-arms fire from a small group of ski mask-wearing insurgents on a rooftop. Soldiers returned fire, and the insurgents fled. A wild chase through the city streets followed as the soldiers attempted to cut off the insurgents' escape route, U.S. officials said.

During the ensuing 20-minute battle, coalition forces killed one insurgent and nabbed three others.

Military officials reported today that Iraqi security forces detained four suspected terrorists yesterday believed to have information regarding the June 13 Askari Mosque bombing in Samarra. Acting on previous intelligence, forces raided the target building and detained the four individuals believed to be linked to the recent bombing and other criminal activity in Samarra, officials said.

Iraqi forces also seized several propaganda documents, a compact disc showing attacks against coalition forces, several cell phones, 10 feet of detonation cord, 81 blasting caps, identification cards for access to the mosque, and photos depicting terrorist training.

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


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: alqaeda; capture; frwn; iran; iraq; kill; rockets; terrorists
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1 posted on 06/18/2007 5:36:17 PM PDT by SandRat
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To: 91B; HiJinx; Spiff; MJY1288; xzins; Calpernia; clintonh8r; TEXOKIE; windchime; Grampa Dave; ...
FR WAR NEWS!

WAR News at Home and Abroad You'll Hear Nowhere Else!

All the News the MSM refuses to use!

Or if they do report it, without the anti-War Agenda Spin!

2 posted on 06/18/2007 5:37:12 PM PDT by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: SandRat

Micheal Yon said that this is bigger than any of us realize right now. He’s never led us astray before.


3 posted on 06/18/2007 5:42:09 PM PDT by Uriah_lost ("build bridges where you can - but draw lines where you must." -Fred D Thompson)
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To: SandRat
Find Iranian Rockets

Send them back ... ballistically

4 posted on 06/18/2007 5:43:18 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (Brian J. Marotta, 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub, (1948-2007) Rest In Peace, our FRiend)
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To: SandRat

Our troops should take no prisoners. Terrorists pop up like a room infested with fleas. Irradicate not incarcerate!


5 posted on 06/18/2007 5:50:17 PM PDT by Paperdoll ( Vote for Duncan Hunter in the Primaries for America's sake!)
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To: SandRat
Clearly it will be found that some of Sadr's Mahdi army are carrying out the very same actions al Qaeda has been doing for a long time.
And I would not be surprised if we find over a period of time members of the Badr Brigade in on the same *hit.
Al Qaeda gets most of the attention while various Shia factions probably have been getting away with quite a bit of killing over the past few years.
Off course I refere to Shia that are working with the Iranian agents that infiltrate Iraqi borders.
Hopefully that is all going to change as the new initiatives firm up.
6 posted on 06/18/2007 5:51:38 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: Marine_Uncle

Clearly we have a lot more muscle than we did last year at this time.


7 posted on 06/18/2007 5:56:15 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHOa)
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To: SandRat
The detained individual is an alleged member of the secret cell terrorist network known for transporting weapons and explosively formed penetrators -- a particularly deadly, armor-piercing form of roadside bombs -- from Iran to Iraq, military officials said. The group also is responsible for bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for terrorist training.

This guy is a good one to have captured.

Now we need to have him lead troops to the area on the border over which the Iranian fighters are funneling in.

Then he needs to give us the coordinates for the training area in Iran for terrorists that are coming to Iraq from Iran.

Then we need to destroy that area of Iran

Isn't this in the ROE? Should be alright to bomb an area in another country that is preparing munitions and terrorists to kill Iraqis and Coalition Soldiers.

8 posted on 06/18/2007 6:00:27 PM PDT by Syncro
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To: SandRat

Iranian rockets??? Well, this part sounds like Vietnam all over again - handcuff our forces.


9 posted on 06/18/2007 6:01:55 PM PDT by colorado tanker
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To: Uriah_lost
The chatter I have heard is that some of these guys are HVT from AQ!! Not some Iraqi group. Hope so, it would be good news to have the IEDS slow way down for a long time.
10 posted on 06/18/2007 6:04:23 PM PDT by mad_as_he$$ ("Courage is when you are scared to death, saddle up and ride out anyway." John F'in Wayne.)
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To: RobbyS

Clearly you got that right.


11 posted on 06/18/2007 6:05:06 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle
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To: SandRat

*BUMP*!


12 posted on 06/18/2007 6:25:13 PM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7: 1 - 6)
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To: mad_as_he$$
HVT from AQ

Translation please. Thanks.

13 posted on 06/18/2007 6:30:55 PM PDT by Loyal Buckeye
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To: Loyal Buckeye
High Value target, al Qaeda
14 posted on 06/18/2007 6:36:00 PM PDT by mad_as_he$$ ("Courage is when you are scared to death, saddle up and ride out anyway." John F'in Wayne.)
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To: SandRat

Damn good news. Keep killing the bastards.


15 posted on 06/18/2007 6:55:02 PM PDT by pissant
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To: Uriah_lost

which specific action of the several noted was the biggie?


16 posted on 06/18/2007 7:00:13 PM PDT by bert (K.E. N.P. +12 . Carbon positive.)
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To: SandRat

Oh Boy?


17 posted on 06/18/2007 7:12:30 PM PDT by skinkinthegrass ( just b/c, you suffer from paranoia, doesn't mean they're not out to get you....Run, Fred, Run :^)
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To: bert

I think he is referring to the size of the whole move. I’ll try and find the email he sent to Glenn Reynolds over at Instapundit. Mike’s site is currently running his embed with the Brits in the south of Iraq.


18 posted on 06/18/2007 7:37:42 PM PDT by Uriah_lost ("build bridges where you can - but draw lines where you must." -Fred D Thompson)
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To: SandRat

“Terrorists learned this morning that there is no safe haven in Iraq,”


But thanks to President Bush, there sure is a big fat one in IRAN!


19 posted on 06/18/2007 7:38:46 PM PDT by TomasUSMC ( FIGHT LIKE WW2, FINISH LIKE WW2. FIGHT LIKE NAM, FINISH LIKE NAM)
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To: bert
Here is the snippet that Glenn posted:

MICHAEL YON EMAILS: “This is a very serious offensive kicking off in Iraq. The NYT realizes it’s serious, but nobody that I am seeing realizes just how big this is. Relatively massive.”

For those that don’t read Yon’s site:
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/death-or-glory.htm

20 posted on 06/18/2007 7:43:24 PM PDT by Uriah_lost ("build bridges where you can - but draw lines where you must." -Fred D Thompson)
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