Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46668
‘Arrowhead Ripper’ Continues to Deny Terrorists Resources in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
BAQUBAH, Iraq, July 9, 2007 – Iraqi army and coalition soldiers from Task Force Lightning continued offensive operations in and around the capital of Iraq’s Diyala province today, as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continues to deny resources to al Qaeda terrorists during its 20th day in the area.
Soldiers from 5th Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army Division, discovered and disabled five vehicles being prepared as car bombs and caches containing pipe bombs, sniper rifles, and other explosives and bomb-making materials.
During another joint operation in western Baqubah, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, and Iraqi forces disabled three IEDs and discovered a cache of small arms. Also included in this discovery was an al Qaeda safe house containing a large amount of medical supplies and equipment. The medical supplies taken from this safe house were distributed to the local civilian population.
“In western Baqubah, Arrowhead Ripper has met our initial tactical objectives and then some,” said Army Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, deputy commander for operations for Task Force Lightning and Multinational Division North. “Not only have we cleared out the active al Qaeda operatives in the western part of the city, but more importantly started to return fundamental life and normalcy to the citizens in that part of the city — food, water, fuel — those things that are essential to the trust and confidence of the people in their government.”
Iraqi and coalition soldiers continue to conduct successful engagements throughout the capital denying al Qaeda operatives resources and safe havens.
In the Baqubah’s Buhriz neighborhood, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 14th Cavalry Regiment, and Iraqi soldiers, engaged and killed five terrorists who had launched a mortar attack from nearby palm groves. Local citizens provided accurate information to the joint forces enabling the successful engagement.
In a separate engagement in old Baqubah, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, detained 34 suspected terrorists after following tips from local citizens.
“The true measure of success is in talking to the Iraqis who are starting to return to a sense of normalcy in western Baqubah,” Bednarek said. “The fact that you have people coming out of their houses, starting to walk to the markets, (talking) with each other, riding bicycles, playing soccer in the streets, allowing the return of fundamental goods and services.”
Since the beginning of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, at least 60 al Qaeda operatives have been killed, 215 have been detained, 55 weapons caches have been discovered, 124 improvised explosive devices have been destroyed, and 24 booby-trapped structures have been destroyed.
(From a Multinational Corps Iraq news release.)
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46672
Troops Kill Nine, Detain 15, Discover Weapons in Iraq
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 9, 2007 – Iraqi and coalition forces killed nine insurgents, detained 15 others, and uncovered weapons during recent operations in Iraq, military officials said.
In fighting July 7 near Diwaniyah, Iraqi and coalition forces killed nine militia members and detained four others. While conducting an operation to find a senior leader rogue militia member, soldiers from 1st Battalion, 8th Iraqi Army Division, and the Iraqi Hillah special weapons and tactics team received small-arms fire.
Ground troops called in coalition air support, which killed nine militants, destroyed two vehicles, and damaged two buildings the insurgents were using for cover during their attack, military officials said. Iraqi forces later detained four suspicious individuals during the operation.
According to military officials, rogue militia members have attacked Iraqi and coalition forces with rockets and mortars near Diwaniyah, including a July 2 attack in which the militia launched more than 50 rockets and wounded a coalition soldier.
No Iraqi or coalition forces members were injured during the operation, officials said.
Iraqi special operations forces and coalition advisors detained seven suspected militia members in a July 7 operation.
The Iraqi forces captured their targets without incident, military officials said. They also seized an automatic rifle and ammunition, a pistol, cell phones, ID cards and computer equipment. No Iraqi or coalition forces were injured during this operation.
In Baghdad’s Rashid district that day, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers sacked an explosively formed penetrator cell.
Soldiers of Company D, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment “Black Lions,” 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, received a tip from a local citizen that an EFP had been emplaced along a major thoroughfare. Acting immediately, troops found the device and followed the command wire back to a nearby house.
Inside the house, the Black Lions detained three suspected cell members, military officials said. Troops also found a trigger device, four radios, a video camera, an Iranian Type-85 sniper rifle and a pistol. They also found a spool of wire, three EFP tubes, and three EFP pressure-plates — equipment used to manufacture the deadly devices.
“The streets of Baghdad are safer now with the arrests of these suspected terrorists and the removal of their explosives and other implements of destruction,” said Army Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, commander of 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. “We appreciate the Iraqi citizen’s courage in coming forward to assist the Black Lions in safeguarding the area.”
Earlier that day, insurgents attacked two patrols from the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry “Warriors” in the Doura area of eastern Rashid. Troops killed three insurgents in the ensuring engagement, and a fourth was wounded and detained for further questioning, military officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)