Claims announcement for Iraqi citizens in outlying provinces of Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Multi-National Corps-Iraq Claims Judge Advocates from the U.S. Army will review all outstanding claims initially submitted at the Convention Center by Iraqi citizens Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28 at the Government Information Center located on Camp Victory at the Al – Radhwanya Gate. The session will be conducted from noon to 3:30 p.m. No new claims will be accepted.
The Claims Judge Advocates will review all outstanding claims initially submitted at the Convention Center for Iraqis in the outlying provinces of Diyala, Salah an Din, Al Anbar, Babil, Karbala, and Wasit.
Iraqi Soldiers and U.S. Marines, Sailors and Soldiers begin operations.
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq — Iraqi Army Soldiers and U.S. Marines, Sailors and Soldiers began operations near Hit in the Hai Al Becker region.
The aim of the operation is to clear the region of al Qaeda and Iraq-led terrorists and establish a secure environment for the upcoming National Elections, Dec. 15.
Approximately 500 Iraqi Army soldiers from 2nd Brigade, 7th Iraqi Army Division and 1,500 Marines and Sailors from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit along with 500 Soldiers from 2nd Battalion-114th Field Artillery Regiment are conducting Operation Matraqa Hadidia (Iron Hammer) east of Hit, approximately 170 km from Baghdad.
The Hai Al Becker region is suspected to be an al Qaeda in Iraq safe area and base of operations for the manufacture of vehicle car bombs, roadside bombs. It is also believed to be a stopping point for terrorists as they transit the ‘rat lines’ down the Euphrates River from Syria into the interior of Iraq.
In early July, Iraqi and U.S. Forces established long-term security presence in the city of Hit during Operation Saif (Sword). During Saif, few terrorists were located; however, a score of weapons caches have been discovered in the region.
Operation Iron Hammer will clear the area on the eastern side of the Euphrates River, an area not typically patrolled by Iraqi and U.S. Forces.
Routine updates concerning Operation Iron Hammer will be provided as additional information becomes available.
Soldiers find weapons caches, terrorists on island
BAGHDAD, Iraq — Task Force Baghdad Soldiers found multiple weapons caches on an island in the Euphrates River Nov. 28.
Military officials had been monitoring suspicious activity near the Euphrates River southwest of Baghdad for a couple of weeks. When conditions were right, Soldiers from 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division were ready to spring into action.
“The timing was right to attack the target,” said 2/101st Airborne Div. Commander Col. Todd Ebel. “The pieces of the puzzle fit close enough.”
Soldiers from 2/101st’s 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment secured the objective and discovered three significant weapons caches.
Soldiers also searched surrounding homes and facilities, detaining two suspected terrorists.
In total, the Soldiers uncovered 11 500-pound bomb shells, C4 explosives, welding equipment, mortar rounds, miscellaneous bomb-making material, 57mm rockets, 40 bags of fertilizer, 12 directional charges, five 155mm rounds, 100 feet of detonation cord, three rocket-propelled grenades, eight bags of 20mm rounds and other munitions and explosives.
An explosive ordinance disposal team was called to the site to conduct a controlled detonation of the caches.
“The large bombs and welding material are critical,” Ebel said. “It is likely this material was used for improvised explosive devices and possibly vehicle-borne IEDs that threaten Iraqi citizens and Coalition Forces. I could not be more proud of these 2/101st Soldiers. They do this every day to help bring peace. No one could ask more of them.”
Iraqi, U.S. forces capture 33 terror suspects
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Task Force Baghdad Soldiers teamed up with Iraqi security forces to conduct Operation Thunder Blitz in southern Baghdad Nov. 29, resulting in the capture of 33 terror suspects.
Moving rapidly into the area, hundreds of U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi forces from the 1st Battalion, 2nd Commando Brigade (Wolf Battalion) took the enemy by surprise by securing seven different objective areas along the Tigris River.
Operation Thunder Blitz focused on removing weapons and terrorists from the streets prior to the Dec. 15 elections.
MNDCS completes projects in Ad Diwaniyah
CAMP ECHO, Iraq – Multinational Division Central-South Soldiers completed three civil-military cooperation projects this week in the Diwaniyah province.
In al Shamiyah, 30 kilometers south of ad Diwaniyah, MNDCS soldiers provided a new sewage system for 60 houses. The new system will improve the problem of flooding during the rainy season.
Another project involved upgrading the central fuel station with a 500 kilowatt generator to improve the efficiency of the station.
The third project completed this week was a new 3.5 kilometer road built in the northern part of al Diwaniya city.
All three projects were prepared by Polish Soldiers.
From the beginning of its mission in Iraq MNDCS materialized more than 2,100 projects, including water-purification facilities, electrical power stations, educational infrastructure, medical facilities and administrative buildings. More than 300 of these projects are in the Diwaniyah province.
Kirkuk weapons cache still yielding ammunition
TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. forces have removed more than 4,200 mortar rounds from a major weapons cache found outside of an abandoned military base near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk Sunday.
The buried rounds were discovered by Iraqi Soldiers Sunday morning. The Soldiers removed about 800 mortar rounds before realizing that the cache was much larger than they originally thought. U.S. Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team were called in to help excavate the munitions and secure the area.
The ammunition was buried under concrete blocks with dirt mounded on top. All of the ammunition removed so far has come from one mound located in a field full of similar mounds. The explosives ordnance disposal team at the site expects to find more rounds as the search expands throughout the field.
“It was a good find,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jennifer Wayne, the EOD team chief at the site. “I’m glad we found it over someone else. All those rounds are potential IEDs. We just stopped that many more IEDs.”
The rounds will be destroyed in a controlled detonation.
Citizen’s tip about bomb saves lives
BAGHDAD,Iraq -- A local citizen provided a potentially life-saving tip to the Iraqi Army in Sadr City Nov 26, alerting them to what appeared to be a bomb placed in the road.
The civilian provided the tip to an Iraqi Army checkpoint around 10:30 a.m.
The Iraqi Army and Soldiers from Task Force Baghdad’s 3rd Battalion, 15th Infantry responded to the scene, secured the site and kept civilian traffic out of harm’s way.
Upon investigation, the Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad team discovered a 122-millimeter mortar round rigged with a remote detonating device.
A U.S. Army explosive ordnance disposal team responded rendered the bomb safe.
Task Force Baghdad Soldiers prevent bomb attack
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Task Force Baghdad Soldiers killed a terrorist trying to set up an improvised explosive device Nov. 26 in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad.
Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry spotted the bomber trying to put a 155-millimeter artillery round, with a detonation device attached, into a pile of trash along the street. The Soldiers quickly engaged the individual after they determined he was emplacing an IED.
Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 3rd Brigade, 6th Division secured the area and explosive experts were called to the site to destroy the bomb.
Nine terrorists detained west of Rawah
CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, Iraq — U.S. Soldiers from the 4th Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment discovered three car bombs and detained nine possible terrorists west of Rawah Nov. 29 after their patrol was attacked by a suicide bomber.
At approximately 1 p.m., two cars approached the mounted patrol. As the patrol neared, one vehicle sped off while the other stopped and waited for the Soldiers. The driver of the stationary vehicle detonated explosives hidden in his car resulting in his death. There were no casualties or damages reported as a result of the attack.
Soldiers then pursued the second car into a wadi where they found the car abandoned. In a search of the area, three other car bombs were discovered and nine suspected terrorists were detained.
** Brilliant cartoon from the drybones blog - link on sidebar - just gets better and better...
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