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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 |
Release Number: 03-08-11
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COALITION AND IRAQI PEOPLE WORK TO MAKE IRAQ SECURE
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Support and cooperation from Iraqi citizens is enabling Coalition forces to seize weapons and detain former regime loyalists.
Acting on a tip from a source about an extensive weapons cache stored at a former regime loyalist house in Baghdad, 1st Armored Division soldiers seized the weapons in a raid conducted on Aug. 4. Confiscated weapons and military gear included 31 protective mask canisters, 11 bayonets, 33 7.62 mm magazines, more than 550 rounds of ammunition, two protective masks, three swords, two AK-47s, two axes, and various documents. Four individuals were detained.
Based on a tip from another source of a weapons cache location, 1st AD conducted a raid in Baghdad on Aug. 5 resulting in 500 ammunition rounds, 10 loaded AK-47 magazines, and one rocket-propelled grenade being confiscated.
An Iraqi turned himself into the police in the 4th Infantry Division area of operation claiming that local former regime loyalists were forcing him to conceal weapons for them. Three AK-47s, one 60 mm mortar, five 60 mm mortar rounds, three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, six rocket-propelled grenade rounds and 250 rounds of 7.62 ammunition were turned in.
In a separate incident, an Iraqi citizen turned in a rocket-propelled grenade and an assortment of materials used to make improvised explosive devices to the 4th ID. The Iraqi citizen also provided information on a man who teaches people how to construct IEDs.
A large cache of weapons was reported by a local Iraqi to the 4th ID on Aug. 3. An inventory of the cache completed on Aug. 5 revealed more than 1,700 rounds of various ammunition, more than 900 mortar rounds, more than 37,000 anti-aircraft rounds as well as various other weapons and explosives.
In the last 24 hours, coalition forces conducted 18 raids, 965 day patrols and 722 night patrols and conducted 164 day patrols and 181 night patrols jointly with Iraqi police.