by 1st. Lt. Georginia Bradshaw
4th BCT PAO, 101st Abn. Div.
FOB RUSTAMIYAH, Iraq – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers of Companies B and D, 3rd Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, captured a high-ranking terrorist cell leader along with three of his associates, Friday in east Baghdad's Al Oubaidy neighborhood.
The actions were part of Operation Together Forward, a Multi-National Division – Baghdad operation designed to reduce assassinations, kidnappings and prevent escalation of sectarian violence in order to restore Baghdad security to Iraqi control.
"We've been looking for the leader of this cell for about four weeks now. We decided to target him about a week and a half ago," said 1st Lt. Randall Weaver, a native of Susanville, Calif., platoon leader, Co. D.
The unit received information there was a terrorist cell operating in Al Oubaidy. Meanwhile, Soldiers from Co. B and Co. D set up a cordon and search around two houses in the Al Oubaidy area. The combined patrol detained four local nationals. One of those local nationals fit the description of their target.
"Not a single shot was fired, and we accomplished our mission," said Lt. Col. Mark Bertolini, a native of Bellerose, N.Y., battalion commander, 3rd Bn., 67th AR.
In a related event, the unit received a tip that militia military took over the gas station across from Forward Operating Base Rustamiyah. Sources indicated the deputy of the terrorist leader captured the day prior was operating at that gas station. Elements from 3rd Bn., 67th AR, were sent to conduct an area reconnaissance in order to gather information for future operations.
Upon arriving at the gas station the Soldiers identified their targets and started moving to detain the local nationals. A vehicle containing the targets attempted to flee the scene, but the Soldiers captured the four suspects. It was later confirmed that the unit had apprehended the deputy of the terrorist leader.
"This is a result of many weeks of hard work by our battalion and brigade staffs and culminated by a precision operation that was executed flawlessly by our Soldiers," said Bertolini.
Neither the suspected terrorists nor MND-B personnel were injured during the operation.
