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With Operation Lightning Hammer II underway in Iraq’s north, the provinces of Ninewa and Salahadin are a major focus of the latest offensive. Over half of the troops allotted to Lightning Hammer II are operating in Mosul, Tal Afar, and a region known as the Za'ab triangle in northern Salahadin province. Most of the troops conducting offensive operations in Ninewa and northern Salahadin are Iraqis. “The Za'ab triangle is the main effort for our operations,” said Col. Stephen Twitty, the commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 1st Calvary Division during a Pentagon press briefing on September 7. Twitty runs the...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces killed 26 al Qaeda members, captured 37 suspected terrorist and seized 10 weapons caches during Operation Lightning Hammer, one in a series of coordinated “quick-strike” offensives that launched this month, a top general in Iraq said today. Multinational Division North soldiers led the 12-day operation, which targeted extremists attempting to re-establish sanctuaries in Iraq’s Diyala River Valley, Army Maj. Gen. James E. Simmons, the deputy commanding general for support for Multinational Corps Iraq, told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call today. The general noted that Lightning Hammer is stimulating...

BAGHDAD — Operation Lightning Hammer concluded Wednesday after a 12-day, large-scale operation to disrupt al-Qaeda and other terrorist elements in the Diyala River Valley, a complex area of villages and palm groves in Iraq’s Diyala province. The operation, which involved approximately 16,000 Iraqi and Coalition forces clearing approximately 50 villages, was a key element in Multi-National Corps-Iraq’s overall operation, Phantom Strike; and resulted in 26 al-Qaeda members killed, 37 suspected terrorists detained and the discovery of 10 weapons caches. “The strength and determination of the fighting men and women from the Iraqi and Coalition forces showed great results during Lightning...

BAGHDAD, Aug. 24, 2007 – Operation Lightning Hammer concluded Aug. 22 after a 12-day, large-scale operation to disrupt al Qaeda and other terrorist elements in the Diyala River Valley, a complex area of villages and palm groves in Iraq’s Diyala province. The operation, which involved about 16,000 Iraqi and coalition forces clearing some 50 villages, was a key element in Multinational Corps Iraq’s overall Operation Phantom Strike, and it resulted in 26 al Qaeda members killed, 37 suspected terrorists detained, and the discovery of 10 weapons caches. “The strength and determination of the fighting men and women from the Iraqi...

TIKRIT, Iraq – TIKRIT, Iraq – Operation Lightning Hammer, involving approximately 16,000 Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces, began Aug. 13 with a large-scale offensive to defeat al-Qaeda and other terrorist cells seeking safe haven throughout the Diyala River Valley. This operation is a key part of Multinational Corps-Iraq’s overall operation, Phantom Strike. Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, partnered with members of the 5th Iraqi Army Division, initiated the operation with a late-night air assault into targeted locations to capture or kill al-Qaeda responsible for the violence against Iraqi civilians. “Al-Qaeda cells were disrupted and forced...