More Good News From Iraq

Citizen tips, Soldier diligence take terrorists off streets

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Task Force Baghdad Soldiers captured four suspected terrorists during operations Nov. 24-25.

An Iraqi tipster provided information about a roadside-bomb cell operating in western Rashid. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment responded to the tip and conducted the operation during the early-morning hours of Nov. 25, detaining three terror suspects.

The previous evening, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 184th Infantry Regiment conducted a mission in eastern Rashid, detaining a suspected terrorist who is believed to be responsible for attacks on Coalition Forces. The suspect attempted to flee the scene as the Soldiers arrived but was unable to evade the U.S. forces.

Busy day for Iraqi, Coalition Forces

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. forces continued the fight against terrorists operating throughout the north central region of Iraq Saturday.

Sixteen suspected terrorists, including one female, were captured in a series of unrelated events.

In an early morning cordon and search mission near Baqubah, Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers detained nine suspected terrorists and seized fuses used for detonating explosives along with several anti-aircraft artillery rounds.

Police in Samarra investigated an explosion that occurred at a gas station southeast of the city Nov. 26 at about 11:30 a.m. Four 155mm artillery shells, converted into IEDs, detonated before they could be moved out of the station, killing nine suspected terrorist and injuring four others. The four injured suspects were detained by the Samarra Police.

In the nearby city of Balad, U.S. Soldiers detained a suspect at a checkpoint after he attempted to avoid questioning. A search revealed that he was carrying more than $3,000 in U.S. currency.

To finish off the day, U.S. troops conducted a clearing operation in Baqubah the evening of Nov. 26. The Soldiers detained a man and a woman after discovering them with eight blocks of C-4 plastic explosive, an AK-47 with several hundred rounds, blasting caps and various other IED-making materials.

Joint U.S., Iraqi patrol leads to large weapons cache

BAGHDAD, Iraq – U.S. Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces found a large weapons cache while conducting a joint patrol in the North Babil district on the afternoon of Nov. 24.

Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and Iraqi Army Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 5th Brigade discovered 15 125-millimeter mortar rounds, 20 heavy-machine gun rounds, six 60-millimeter mortar rounds, and two boxes of 14.5-millimeter ammunition.

An explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the scene and conducted a controlled detonation of the munitions.

Iraqi, U.S. forces nab terrorists, stop bomb attacks

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Army and Task Force Baghdad Soldiers continued to pursue terrorists and deny them opportunities for attacks during operations in various districts of the capitol city Nov. 21-23.

During the course of more than 2,400 patrols, Iraqi and U.S. forces detained terror suspects, seized weapons caches and found improvised explosive devices before they could be detonated.

Military officials also had help from the local population as individuals came forward with information about terrorist activity.

On Nov. 21, a local resident told Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 75th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division about an IED which had been placed around a weapons cache in an area west of Baghdad. The informant also told Soldiers that three vehicles were currently at the location. U.S. forces cordoned off the area and began searching houses and questioning residents. Two terrorists were detained and processed into the Iraqi judicial system.

Another tipster reported an IED concealed in a pile of rubble along a road in east Baghdad Nov. 22. Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry secured the site and called in an explosive ordnance disposal team which disarmed the device consisting of two 57-millimeter rockets and a 130-millimeter round.

Public Order Brigade troops operating in Salman Pak south of Baghdad detained three terror suspects and confiscated a small weapons cache Nov. 23. The arrests also came as a result of information provided by a local resident.

Iraqi Army Soldiers working a checkpoint Nov. 22 detained three suspicious individuals in a vehicle who tried to do a quick U-turn after approaching the Soldiers. The individuals threw a compact disc out of a window and started to flee, but were quickly stopped by a squad of IA Soldiers. After being questioned, the three suspects admitted they were responsible for attacks against U.S. forces in Baghdad, Fallujah and Najaf. The CD contained documents and video footage of terrorist attacks.

In other operations, Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 70th Armored Regiment reported finding a large IED placed under an overpass in north Baghdad Nov. 22. The Soldiers secured the area and called in an EOD team to collect the explosive device.

After a convoy from 2/101st Abn. Div. struck an IED southwest of Baghdad Nov. 21, they noticed three suspicious individuals who appeared to be watching for the explosion. The three suspects exhibited signs of recently handling explosives and were detained for further questioning.

Operation Tigers kicked off in Ramadi

CAMP AR RAMADI, Iraq — Approximately 550 Iraqi Army soldiers and U.S. Soldiers from the 2nd Brigade Combat Team attached to the 2nd Marine Division, kicked off Operation Tigers (Nimur) this morning in the Ma’Laab District of eastern Ramadi.

Operation Tigers is the fourth in a series of disruption operations executed by the Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces to set the conditions for a successful Dec. 15 election in the AL Anbar capital city of Ar Ramadi.

The previous operations which began Nov. 16 were operations Panthers (Numur), Bruins (Dibbah), and Lions (Asad).

Since Nov. 16, actions conducted by the 2BCT resulted in numerous terrorists killed or detained and netted several weapons caches, to include: surface-to-air missiles, rocket-propelled grenades, numerous rockets, mortar rounds, artillery rounds, hand grenades, landmines, small arms, small-arms ammunition and various IED making equipment.

The discovered weapons caches were used by al Qaeda in Iraq-led terrorists to conduct direct attacks on Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces and Ramadi citizens and also to build roadside bombs.

Cordon and searches, blocking off known terrorist escape routes, and searching for weapons caches in the targeted areas, are incorporated as part of Operation Tigers.

Operation Tigers consists of approximately 150 Iraqi Army Soldiers and 400 Coalition Forces.

More information on the operation will be released as it becomes available.

Telecommunications restored in al Anbar

CAMP BLUE DIAMOND, AR RAMADI, Iraq – The people of al Anbar Province were reconnected to their country’s capital and the rest of the world today as telecommunication services were restored to the region.

Terrorists cut al Anbar’s electronic ties to the globe nearly two months ago, but telephone, television and Internet service was restored by the collaborative efforts of provincial government telecommunication officials and Coalition Forces.

“This is a tremendous achievement, and it means a lot to the people in al Anbar Province,” Mahmoud Abdul Jabbar Mutlak, the al Anbar director general of telecommunications, said through a translator. “The people can get a lot of benefit out of this.”

The repair of the fiber-optic cable reconnected the province with the national fiber-optic network and will provide many of the more than 1.3 million residents of al Anbar access to services such as telephone, television and Internet. This ability to communicate and enhance access to information comes just in time for the Iraqi national election in December.

MND CS completes road in al Hillah

CAMP ECHO, Iraq – Multinational Division Central-South Soldiers completed a new road in al Hillah.

Before the project, the area was a dirt road which turned to mud after every rain. The project, prepared by Salvadorian soldiers, lasted 30 days and consisted of hardening the ground and laying 1250 meters of asphalt.

Since the start of the mission in Iraq, the Salvadorian soldiers completed 78 projects worth more than $3 million. Additional projects are ongoing.

MND CS has been actively engaged in improvement of living conditions for local society in the area of responsibility. MND CS soldiers organize reconstruction of the civilian infrastructure and provide humanitarian relief for Iraqi citizens.

During the past two years, civil military relations’ specialists materialized 2,100 projects; including water purification facilities, electrical power stations, educational infrastructure, medical facilities and administrative buildings. In total they helped more than 500,000 Iraqi people.

Gatekeeper, courier, confidant of al-Zarqawi dead, says relative

BAGHDAD, Iraq – A close family member as well as Coalition sources claimed earlier this week that a gatekeeper and confidant of Abu Mu’sab al-Zarqawi, Bilal Mahmud Awad Shebah, aka Abu Ubaydah, who reportedly met weekly with the leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq, is dead.

Abu Ubaydah was reportedly killed Oct. 14 when Coalition Forces raided several suspected terrorist hideouts in the Albu Ubayd neighborhood north of Ramadi. Although intelligence analysts assessed Abu Ubaydah was killed during the mid-October raids, they could not determine his death with certainty at that time.

In late November, Coalition Forces received information from knowledgeable sources and a close family member of Abu Ubaydah claiming independently that Zarqawi’s confidant and gatekeeper was killed as a result of the Oct. 14 raids.

Detained members of al-Qaeda claim Abu Ubaydah served as an “executive secretary” for Zarqawi; met with Zarqawi frequently; served as a messenger and gatekeeper for Zarqawi; screened all messages and requests for meetings with Zarqawi; was one of Zarqawi’s most trusted associates; provided Zarqawi with safe house locations; and used intimidation and death threats to gain the cooperation of the Iraqi people to support al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist activity.

During the course of the raids, several weapons caches, containing mortar rounds, small arms and ammunition, were found and destroyed. Mortar rounds were also emplaced along the road leading to the safe houses, serving as improvised explosive devices against incoming vehicle or foot traffic. The forces were engaged by small-arms fire upon their arrival to the suspected terrorist location and immediately returned fire. Combining the ground attack with the use of close-air support, the terrorists’ hideout locations were destroyed.

No Coalition forces were injured or killed during the raids.

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