2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Public Affairs

Story by Maj. James Rawlinson

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WARRIOR, KIRKUK, Iraq—Kirkuk police detained nine suspected al Qaeda members in Iraq Tuesday in possession of bomb making materiel.

One of the nine is believed to be Abdallah Abd Qadir, who previously purchased thousands of pounds of ammonium nitrate throughout 2006 for unknown reasons. Abdallah has ties to known AQI members associated with insurgent activity in Baghdad.

Iraqi Police in the Domies neighborhood of Kirkuk city stopped two suspicious vehicles at a routine traffic check point Monday, which led to the discovery of more than 300 pounds of ammonium nitrate and a can of gasoline in the vehicles. Soldiers from 3rd Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division submitted samples of the material for chemical testing to verify that it is explosive materiel.

Ammonium nitrate, initiated by gasoline, is a common ingredient in many homemade explosives used by insurgents.

The information from the drivers of the vehicles led to an Iraqi police operation that netted a total of nine members of an AQI cell. The operation also resulted in the discovery of 17 blasting caps and four initiator devices.

"At this point, it appears as if the Iraqi Police have detained a low-level AQI or ISI [Islamic State of Iraq] cell leader based on evidence alone," said Capt. Corey Sherk, the intelligence officer for 3rd Bn., 82nd Field Artillery Regt. "...and potentially hindered near-term IED operations in the city."

To report suspicious behavior, call the Provincial Joint Coordination Center at 050-469-511 from a landline or 104/305 from a mobile phone.

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