Coalition Forces in Iraq Capture Suspects, Seize Caches

WASHINGTON, UNITED STATES

10.27.2008

Courtesy Story

Defense.gov         

Coalition forces apprehended 11 suspected terrorists today as they continued operations to dismantle al-Qaida in Iraq networks throughout the country's central and northern regions, military officials reported.

Coalition forces operating south of Kirkuk captured a wanted man believed to be a weapons dealer with connections to al-Qaida operatives in the Hamrin Mountains region. He also is believed to be a local al-Qaida leader who has contact with other regional leaders, officials said.

In Baghdad, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists, including a wanted man believed to conspire directly with regional al-Qaida leaders. Following his capture, the wanted man, who reportedly also is a financier for the organization, led coalition forces to a nearby residence, where they apprehended an alleged foreign terrorist facilitator.

West of Baghdad in Karmah, forces apprehended a wanted man who officials said intelligence reports indicate is an al-Qaida financial facilitator.

Forces targeted al-Qaida supply networks during two related operations near Tikrit, north of Baghdad. During the first operation, coalition forces captured an alleged logistics facilitator for al-Qaida in the Tigris River Valley region. The wanted man identified himself to coalition forces at the time of his capture. The man then led ground forces to a second location, where they detained another wanted man who intelligence reports suggest is one of al-Qaida's leaders in Tikrit.

Coalition forces captured four suspected Kataib Hezbollah terrorists in Abd ar Rahman, east of Sadr City. Kataib Hezbollah, also known as Hezbollah Brigades, is a terrorist group believed to receive funding, training, logistics and material support from Iran to attack Iraqi and coalition forces using what the military calls “explosively formed penetrators” – roadside bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles – and other weapons such as rocket-assisted mortars.

Acting on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted the residence of a suspected Kataib Hezbollah administrator with close ties to network leadership. Coalition forces approached the targeted individual's residence, where they detained four of his associates without incident.

In operations yesterday:

-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained an operative of an Iranian-backed enemy group during a targeted raid in the Rashid district's Hayy Aamel community. The patrol returned to a combat outpost with the suspect, who was wanted for indirect-fire and roadside-bomb attacks.

-- Soldiers from the same brigade’s Company C found a roadside bomb composed of four 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds encased in concrete in a house in the Rahid district’s Hayy Jihad community. A coalition explosives ordnance disposal unit responded to the site and found the bomb had no initiating device. Company C soldiers also seized three 120 mm mortar rounds, two 155 mm rounds and 10 pounds of homemade explosives attached to an egg timer while conducting a security patrol in the same community.

-- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Troop B, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, responded to a tip from an Iraqi citizen and found an identical bomb, consisting of four 57 mm anti-aircraft rounds encased in concrete, in Rashid's Hadar community. The homemade explosive had a washing-machine timer and a cell phone, but was not wired to the explosives that were hidden in brush about 10 feet from a local school. An EOD unit responded to the scene to disarm the bomb.

-- Iraqi soldiers searching the Adl Clinic in Baghdad’s Mansour district found a false wall hiding eight homemade hand grenades with fuses.

-- Iraqi soldiers arrested a man after finding two bombs in the underbelly of his vehicle in the Mansour district.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Story by American Forces Press Service

• Date Taken: 10.27.2008
• Date Posted: 07.03.2025 19:20
• Story ID: 520809
• Location: WASHINGTON, US