TF 1st Armored Division Conducts Offensive OperationsSOUTH CENTRAL IRAQ - Task Force 1st Armored Division conducted offensive operations, dubbed "Operation Iron Sabre," in Karbala, Husaniyah and Kufa May 21 to destroy the militia of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, create safe environments for local businesses, citizens and pilgrims traveling to the holy sites, and facilitate transition to Iraqi Security Forces. The militia had continued to fight despite calls for their withdrawal made by several Iraqi religious leaders. In Karbala, Task Force 1-37 Armor captured 10 militiamen. Afterward, local citizens told the task force that the remaining militia fled the city. ...
