Sunday, November 20, 2005
Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan say they have abducted an Indian national along with three Afghans in the southern province of Nimroz.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Taleban insurgents in Afghanistan say they have abducted an Indian national along with three Afghans in the southern province of Nimroz.
November 20, 2005
ABU GHRAIB, Iraq -- It was Veteran’s Day in America as Task Force Baghdad warriors walked the streets of Baghdad searching for terrorists.
The neighborhood of Abu Ghraib was still and quiet on the night of Nov. 11, but the streets were far from empty. While many unsuspecting citizens sat in their homes, two companies from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division’s 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, walked up and down the streets in search of terrorists.
While the sight of convoys leaving Camp Liberty is a common occurrence for local Iraqi citizens, Soldiers are rarely seen leaving the "wire" on foot. However, the 2-22 Inf. Soldiers did just that during Operation Roundup.
"We will conduct a series of raids...to gather information about the whereabouts of some big players in al-Qaeda and other insurgencies," said Capt. James Kleager, A Company commander, as he briefed the Soldiers for the upcoming mission using a small model of the neighborhood.
Soon after the mission began, it was clear that citizens were not expecting to see such a large number of Soldiers on foot in the area, and the surprise worked toward the Soldiers’ benefit.
"The sight of such a large number of Soldiers dismounted in their neighborhood really brought the heat down on these people," said 2nd Lt. Kip Remsburg, A Co. "The sight of us prompted them to speak out more than usual as they were questioned - and we received more information than usual."
The Soldiers capitalized on the fact that the dismounted rifle platoons would be a complete surprise.
"It was a shock for these people to see us on their streets like this," Kleager said. "We are keeping (the terrorists) on their heels this way. They are used to seeing and hearing vehicles coming for miles, but not Soldiers on foot."
The unit is beginning to root out the terrorist satellites, said Kleager.
Although the Soldiers were resolved in their mission to capture key terrorists, they didn’t ignore the needs of the citizens in the area.
Several medics went along with the patrol and treated an older man who complained of chest pains.
"We make sure the citizens know we are here to help, even as we patrol their streets in search of terrorists," said A Co.’s 1st Sgt. Joseph Sanford. "Our medics listen to the needs of the people, and then help out the best way we can under the circumstances."
By the end of the day’s mission, the Soldiers had detained six suspected terrorists - all associated with the key cells which the U.S. Soldiers set out to find.
"We have seen success over the last three months on the streets of Iraq, and tonight was just a continuance of that same success," Kleager said. "We accomplished what we set out to do."
By Pfc. Jason Jordan - 1/10th Mountain Division PAO
ADDITIONAL PHOTO:
Sgt. Jason Millay, 2nd Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, inspects the shell of an explosive round found in a home during a raid Nov. 11. The search was conducted during a food patrol the battalion conducted on Veteran’s Day night. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Jason Jordan, 1/10th Mountain Division PAO)