Good News From Iraq

Operation Gaugamela continues

KIRKUK, Iraq – Without a single shot being fired, more than 3,000 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and Bastogne Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, detained 154 terror suspects and seized more than 350 semi-automatic and automatic rifles, a variety of pistols and mortar rounds, as well as a large number of materials used to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) during Operation Gaugamela (gaw'guh-MEE-luh), a search for suspected al-Qaeda terrorists in the cities and areas surrounding Hawija and Riyadh, just west of Kirkuk, Iraq.

Following a request from local Sunni Arab leaders to rid the area outside of Kirkuk of terrorists, and as reports indicated a rise in the number of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQIZ) moving into the area, the 10 day operation, covering 25 cities and villages spanning more than 900 square miles, began with a series of smaller Iraqi Army operations targeting 20 objectives with a history of terrorist activity in the Rashad area, southwest of Kirkuk. Using their own intelligence information, soldiers from the 2nd Brigade, 4th Iraqi Army Division planned and conducted the missions, detaining nine terror suspects and seizing a cache of weapons.

“This was the first time the Iraqi’s in our area have self-sustained during an operation,” said Captain Krista Jekielek, the Bastogne Brigade’s logistics representative to the Iraqi Security

Forces. “It was a significant validation, showing they are capable of moving the necessary personnel and supplies required to perform their mission.”

Once the Iraqis had completed their searches and attention was drawn to the areas southwest of Kirkuk, operations quickly shifted to the Hawija and Riyadh areas.

“It was my intent to disrupt insurgent operations and to deny them sanctuary in these communities,” explained Colonel David R. Gray, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team. “To do this, we made it look as though we were focused on the south, and then used the element of surprise to help us clear and control the areas to the north.”

A combined U.S. and Iraqi force simultaneously set a security perimeter on the city of Hawija, preventing escape, while more U.S. and Iraqi forces air assaulted from nine UH-60 Blackhawk and eight CH-47 Chinook helicopters into the city and maneuvered quickly to the market at the city center. Once there, they immediately started a door-to-door search of every building in the city. Meanwhile, approximately 10 miles away, another combined force set a security perimeter on the city of Riyadh and began searching every building in that city.

“The folks in Hawija were taken completely by surprise,” said Major Scott Jones, an operations officer for the Bastogne Brigade. “You could see them scattering in all directions. They were running to get inside buildings, and jumping in cars to try and get out of the city.”

As the combined teams of Iraqi soldiers and police searched alongside Bastogne Soldiers, AH-64 helicopters and coalition airpower provided cover from above. In all, more than 700 homes and buildings were searched.

“The Iraqi Security Forces were extremely proficient and professional,” said Captain Lyn Graves, an Army spokesman who patrolled Hawija with the ISF. “We moved quickly through several structures, and discovered an IED factory on the second floor of one building.”

In addition to taking terrorists and weapons off the street, the discipline of the Soldiers involved in the mission truly stands out, according to Maj. Greg Bishop, a 1st BCT spokesman.

“The Iraqi and coalition Soldiers went into the two most contentious cities in the Kirkuk province, searched hundreds of homes and buildings and detained more than 150 suspects with no violence what so ever,” Bishop said. “That’s an incredible success and true measure of the professionalism of everyone involved in this operation.”

Iraqi and Coalition forces continue to pressure insurgents as Operation Gaugamela continues.

Local villager leads Iraqi Army to mortar position

BAGHDAD – 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division soldiers responded to a report from a villager about a possible mortar position in the small town near Al Hillah at approximately 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

Iraqi soldiers found a live rocket, wire remnants and what appeared to be two base plate marks on the ground.

The round was recovered by the Iraqi soldiers.

Iraqi, Coalition forces subdue complex terrorist attack

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, supported by attack aviation and Soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion., 502nd Infantry Regiment, killed a terrorist, wounded another and detained 10 terrorist suspects Wednesday night during a firefight in the city of Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad.

At approximately 6 p.m., Iraqi soldiers reported indirect fire impacts in the vicinity of the Hayy Al Askery neighborhood; at 6:37 p.m., Multi-National Division – Baghdad received a report indicating a group of armed men with AK-47s, machineguns and rocket-propelled grenades congregating in Mahmudiyah.

During the next two hours, terrorists attacked the IA forces using small-arms fire, indirect fire and machineguns in the neighborhoods of Hayy Al Askery, Roquaba village and north Mahmudiyah.

With the assistance of combat aviation, Iraqi army soldiers were able to subdue the terrorist.

At 8 p.m., Iraqi army soldiers were attacked by small-arms fire from a canal. MND-B Soldiers identified the terrorist and returned fire, killing one terrorist and detaining four.

At 8:28 p.m., Iraqi army soldiers observed personnel fleeing from an automobile. The IA investigated and discovered an 82mm mortar tube, four 82mm mortar rounds and two machineguns inside the vehicle.

At 8:39 p.m., across town, Iraqi army soldiers discovered a black automobile containing an RPG launcher.

One Iraqi army soldier was injured during the firefight, and a total of 10 terrorist were detained.

3rd Bn., 67th Armor Soldiers capture high-value terrorist

BAGHDAD – Soldiers of 1st Platoon, Company D, 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, serving with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, captured a high-valued terrorist Monday in the New Baghdad district of eastern Baghdad.

While patrolling as part of Operation Together Forward, an MND-B operation geared to reduce sectarian violence and murders, Soldiers noticed two individuals behaving suspiciously while in a parked vehicle.

The Soldiers searched the vehicle and discovered a pistol, which the men had no permit for, and printed documents that indicated the men supported terrorist activities. The Soldiers detained the men for further investigation.

During their detention, intelligence Soldiers determined that one of the men was one of the top 20 most-wanted terrorist targets in the Baghdad area.

“This was great detective work by the troops on the ground and great work by the battalion and brigade intelligence Soldiers putting the pieces together to figure this out,” said Lt. Col. William Brown, intelligence officer, 4th BCT, 101st Abn. Div.

For the capture to take place, first the Soldiers had to notice that something about the situation was not right.

“They said they were security forces, but we had not seen them around all day. We do this often. When things aren’t right, we check,” said Spc. Lonnie Bays, a tank crew member acting as an armored humvee crew member.

The company commander of the 1st Platoon echoed that observation.

“They have consistently found the bad guys and then used precision engagements to capture them. This is another example of the positive work they do with the local populous each day,” said Capt. Andrew Byrd, 4th BCT.

Iraqi army soldiers capture IED manufacturers

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division captured four terrorists in a small town south of Al Iskandariyah during an early morning raid Friday.

The captured terrorists were wanted for producing vehicle-borne improvised-explosive devices and ground secured improvised-explosive devices and the murder of local citizens.

The terrorists have been detained by the Iraqi army.

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