More Iraq Bits

SF rescues kidnapping victim, arrests three

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi Police and Army units successfully rescued the brother of a Salah Ad Din Provincial Council member and arrested three suspects after a failed kidnapping attempt in Tikrit Dec. 29.

Police chased the kidnappers from Tikrit to the village of al Alam, about 10 miles east of the city, before the suspects abandoned their vehicle and dragged their victim into a nearby house. As the officers approached the building, the kidnappers opened fire on them.

The police secured the area around the house and called for support from a 1st Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division unit stationed nearby.

The Iraqi troopers, augmented by U.S. Soldiers from the 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, entered the house and quickly subdued the suspects.

No one was injured during the incident and the suspects were taken into custody by the police who are investigating the incident.

Coalition Forces transfer of authority

TIKRIT, Iraq – Task Force Freedom relinquished command of northwest Iraq in a ceremony Dec. 30 to the Task Force Band of Brothers.

The ceremony was held at Life Support Area Diamondback in Mosul and marked the transfer of authority from TF Freedom, a headquarters built around the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, to TF Band of Brothers, centered around the newly transformed headquarters of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), from Fort Campbell, Ky.

Northwest and north central Iraq operational areas will consolidate into a single multinational division area of operations under the command of TF Band of Brothers. The task force retains its responsibility for training Iraqi security forces and conducting security operations in the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Salah ad Din, and Sulymaniyah. Its security partners are the Iraqi Army 4th and 5th Divisions, and provincial and local police.

The consolidation will add the provinces of Ninewah and Dahuk to the 101st Airborne Division area of responsibility. Coalition Soldiers will partner with the Iraqi Army 2nd and 3rd Divisions, as well as law enforcement agencies, in these two provinces.

With the change of command responsibilities, TF Band of Brothers includes the 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams from the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 1st and 3rd Brigade Combat Teams from the 3rd Infantry Division, the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 172nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

Soldiers turn tide on attackers

TIKRIT, Iraq – Troops from 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division crushed a ‘drive-by’ attack, killing two terrorists and recovering a large amount of weapons on Dec. 28 near Ad Dawr.

A civilian vehicle approached the Soldiers’ patrol and began to fire at the troops with AK-47s. The Soldiers returned fire, killing both attackers and disabling the vehicle.

A search of the assailants’ vehicle turned up a terrorists’ arsenal: two IEDs prepared for emplacement, 10 large mortar rounds, four AK-47 assault rifles with 1,000 rounds of ammunition, one rocket-propelled grenade launcher with four rounds, one medium machine gun, three 9mm pistols and two hand grenades.

Iraqi security forces take charge against terrorism

MOSUL, Iraq -- Iraqi Security Forces along with Multi-National Forces from Task Force Freedom detained 109 suspected terrorists and seized four weapons caches in northern Iraq, Dec. 17-29.

Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion 4th Brigade 2nd Division detained 13 individuals suspected of terrorist activity during separate raids in Mosul Dec. 20-29.

Iraqi Army Soldiers from 2nd Battalion 1st Brigade 2nd Division, detained five individuals suspected of terrorist activities during a raid in Mosul Dec.22.

Iraqi Army Soldiers from 1st Battalion 1st Brigade 4th Division detained two individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid Dec. 28.

Iraqi Army Soldiers from 3rd Battalion 4th Brigade 2nd Division detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during a raid in Tal Afar Dec. 20.

Iraqi Commandos from 3rd Battalion 4th Brigade and Soldiers from 1st Battalion 17th Infantry Regiment detained one individual during a raid in Mosul Dec. 23.

Iraqi Police detained six individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Mosul Dec. 18-22.

Soldiers from 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment detained eight individuals suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Mosul Dec. 17-25.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity in Bayji, Dec. 28.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment detained 25 individuals suspected of terrorist activity in Mosul Dec. 19-28.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 10 Infantry Regiment detained one individual suspected of terrorist activity during operations in Mosul, Dec. 27.

Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 1st infantry Regiment, detained 20 individuals suspected terrorist activity during separate operations in Mosul, Dec. 27.

Soldiers from 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, detained 10 individuals for suspected terrorist activity during operations near Tal Afar, Dec. 22.

Soldiers from TF 5-7 detained three individuals suspected of terrorist activity during a raid north of Balad, Dec. 26.

Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, detained 11 individuals suspected of terrorist activity and discovered a weapons cache consisting of 180 mortar rounds, a functional machinegun, and artillery fuses during separate operations in the Kirkuk province Dec. 27.

Soldiers from 2/3 ACR discovered a weapons cache during operations near Tal Afar Dec.17.

Soldiers from 43rd Combat Engineer Company discovered two weapons caches consisting of paraphernalia for making IEDs, AK-47 ammunition, and magazines during operations in Mosul Dec. 20.

Soldiers from 4/23 discovered a weapons cache consisting of 16 120mm mortar rounds during operations in Mosul, Dec. 25.

Soldiers from 1-17 Inf. discovered a weapons cache consisting of two AK-47’s, seven magazines, one pistol, five rocket-propelled grenades, ammunition, and blasting caps during operations in Mosul, Dec. 28.

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Combined raids result in 23 captures

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. Soldiers captured 23 suspected terrorists who were the targets of three raids Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 in northern Iraq.

Soldiers from Iraq’s 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Army Division and 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division captured the primary target of the operation along with 10 more suspected terrorists west of Muqdadiyah. The operation was designed to pick up a Baath Party leader who was behind many attacks on Iraqi and U.S. forces, and the civilian population in the area.

Elsewhere, more Soldiers from 2nd Bn., 2nd Bde., 5th IAD and 3rd BCT, 3rd ID nabbed four anti-Iraqi forces as part of a time sensitive raid on two houses in Muqdadiyah. The troops used tips from informants on the whereabouts of the four individuals who are believed to be responsible for IED and small arms attacks against the Coalition and Iraqi security forces in the local area.

Troops from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment zeroed in on eight people involved in terrorist activities in Tal Afar. All eight of the suspects were picked up without incident in the raid and taken to a nearby military base for questioning.

None of the Soldiers involved in the two days of operations were injured as they continued to remove those responsible for acts of terrorism and violence against the civilians and security forces in the area.

Weapons seized, two suspects detained

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi and U.S. forces in northern Iraq uncovered four weapons caches and detained two suspected terrorists Dec. 30.

A cache of five preassembled IEDs was discovered near Kirkuk by Iraqi Soldiers from the 5th Strategic Infrastructure Battalion. The SIB troops secured the site until a U.S. explosive ordnance disposal team arrived and safely detonated the devices.

A second cache was discovered in Kirkuk by Soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team. The patrol seized more than 80 anti-aircraft artillery shells and 117 detonating fuses. The unit took the explosives to a nearby military base for destruction.

1st BCT Soldiers also discovered a cache near Hawijah and detained two men Dec. 30. The cache consisted of two artillery shells, 30 pounds of explosive propellant, 30 detonating fuses and several other military items

Another small cache of artillery shells was discovered and seized by a patrol from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment in Tal Afar.

Najaf Police Academy graduates conduct a mock raid at their graduation ceremony, an Najaf, Iraq, Dec. 12, 2005. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Francisco V. Govea II)(Released)

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