Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46750
‘Operation Ithaca’ Surprises, Pummels, al Qaeda Forces
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2007 – American and Iraqi military forces broke up al Qaeda operations in the Diyala River valley during “Operation Ithaca,” conducted July 12, a U.S. military officer said today.
Operation Ithaca targeted Sunni-backed al Qaeda forces in and around the villages of Haimer, Abu Nasim and Jamil, located about 20 kilometers north of Baqubah, the capital of Diyala province, said Army Lt. Col. Andrew P. Poppas, commander of the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division’s 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, which took part in the anti-insurgent offensive.
The operation was a great success and caught al Qaeda “completely by surprise,” Poppas said, noting U.S. ground troops were inserted into the battle space at multiple landing zones by helicopter.
Meanwhile, Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II “Warthogs,” Army attack helicopters, and Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon fighters fired on the insurgents from the air, Poppas said. Unmanned aerial vehicles kept an eye on insurgent movements during the battle, he added.
Each of the aircraft was assigned “very specific, detailed areas” for engaging the al Qaeda forces, Poppas said. In this way, he noted, the enemy lost the ability to control the battle and was blocked by coalition air or ground troops at every turn.
“In a direct firefight, American soldiers are going to win every time,” Poppas said, noting there were no U.S. casualties during the operation.
Twenty-nine al Qaeda operatives were killed and 23 others were captured during the operation. Also, three enemy weapons caches were discovered and a safe house was destroyed. Additionally, eight Iraqis who’d been held hostage by the insurgents were freed.
Local Iraqis fed up with al Qaeda had delivered hand-written maps and other information about the enemy that were used during pre-operational planning, Poppas said.
“We had some very specific intelligence that was provided to us from the local populace,” Poppas said. Unmanned aerial vehicles and other means were used to confirm the information.
Ongoing surge operations in and around Baghdad are putting the squeeze on al Qaeda and other insurgents, causing them to flee Iraq’s capital city to places like Baqubah to the north, Poppas explained.
The insurgents “have got to go somewhere” out of Baghdad, Poppas continued, noting his forces were positioned to intercept and deal with such relocations.
Poppas said his troops have worked closely with 5th Iraqi Army Division soldiers.
“We do all of our patrols combined,” Poppas said of his unit’s relationship with local Iraqi troops. “My experience with the Iraqi army units that I have fought alongside personally (with) is excellent.”
Poppas said his soldiers’ morale is excellent, citing their “impressive” and “phenomenal” performance during Operation Ithaca. Their battlefield prowess is the result of training as a unit for more than two years, he said.
“You deny the enemy’s ability to react to you, because you’re on top of them,” Poppas pointed out.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46752
Soldiers Detain Suspected al Qaeda Leader; Citizens Foil Car Bomb Attack
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 17, 2007 – A suspected al Qaeda leader is among three terrorism suspects detained today in Mosul, Iraq, by coalition and Iraqi forces, and local citizens helped to foil a car-bomb attack in eastern Baghdad.
Officials also reported that a firefight yesterday left about 12 enemy fighters dead.
Among the three suspects captured in Mosul is an alleged al Qaeda leader believed to have been promoted within the organization after recent coalition operations created numerous vacancies in the terrorist organization’s leadership structure.
Intelligence reports also indicate the individual is responsible for mortar and sniper attacks against Iraqi forces and a December attack against coalition forces, officials said.
Also today, troops responded to a phone call to the Adhamiyah Joint Security Station, and residents of the eastern Baghdad district then helped foil an attempted car bombing.
When the troops arrived at the scene, about 30 residents identified a parked vehicle as a possible car bomb. Investigation revealed they were correct, and the explosives were removed from the vehicle and safely detonated.
In other news from Iraq, troops killed about 12 insurgents during a firefight yesterday in eastern Baghdad after coming under attack by small-arms fire and rocket-propelled grenades.
The incident began when insurgents attacked paratroopers from the 1st “Red Devil” Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Infantry Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team, in the Fadhl neighborhood of the Rusafa district. The soldiers returned fire and called for attack aviation support in what became a three-hour engagement. The insurgents were heard using the public address system of a local mosque in an appeal for more of their forces to engage coalition forces.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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