CF detain High Value Target while under fire in Mosul

MOSUL, IRAQ

01.07.2008

Story by Capt. Richard Ybarra 

115th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

Multi-National Division - North

MOSUL, Iraq – Soldiers from Howitzer Battery, 3rd Squadron, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment and 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, detained Mohammed Ibrahim Ali, a known al-Qaida bomb-maker and improvised explosive device cell leader, in addition to a suspected accomplice in the Tamooz neighborhood of Mosul.

Howitzer Battery, 3/3 ACR, acted on tips from previously detained al-Qaida members that placed Ali near the market in the eastern Mosul neighborhood. Information also noted that Ali was under the protection of armed guards.

Upon apprehending Ali and his accomplice, the 3rd ACR Soldiers and their detainees came under rocket propelled grenade fire. The Soldiers placed the detainees under cover behind Humvees opposite the direction of incoming fire and continued to search for weapons. A second RPG was fired and missed both detainees and Soldiers by less than 5 meters, striking a structure.

The detainees were then loaded into the vehicles and moved to Forward Operating Base Marez. Coalition forces could not positively identify the source of the RPG fire and did not return fire during the engagement. No coalition forces or detained persons were injured during the attack.

"The apprehension of Mohammed Ibrahim Ali was a great victory for the citizens of Mosul and should positively impact their security, as Ali's work is clearly intended to terrorize the populace." said Maj. Thomas Feltey, executive officer of 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, "the efforts of these Soldiers to safeguard Ali while under fire from Ali's own men is nothing short of heroic."

• Date Taken: 01.07.2008
• Date Posted: 01.07.2008 16:21
• Story ID: 15245
• Location: MOSUL, IQ