Coalition
Forces Apprehend Suspects,
Take Down Bombing Cells
(AFPS) Coalition
forces apprehended five suspected members of an Iranian-backed terrorist
group today
during two separate operations
in New Baghdad, and captured seven wanted men and 18 additional suspects
in operations yesterday and today throughout Iraq, military
officials reported.
Acting
on intelligence information, coalition forces targeted suspected
key members of the Khataib Hezbollah network in two separate
locations today. The
network allegedly funnels weapons and materiel into Iraq from Iran, which
is then used to conduct attacks against coalition and Iraqi
forces, officials
said.
Coalition forces entered a building where one suspect was believed
to be, and they apprehended him along with three associates.
The suspect had $1,800, a 9 mm hand gun, an AK-47 assault rifle
and numerous passports. Other coalition forces captured the other
targeted suspect nearby without incident.
An operation yesterday netted one alleged terrorist believed
to facilitate car bomb operations in the Baghdad area. He also
is believed to have connections to one of the city’s car-bomb
cell leaders. Two additional suspects were apprehended during
the operation.
In a related operation today, coalition forces netted another
Baghdad car-bomb cell leader who targets the Monsour area. Three
additional suspected terrorists were detained during the operation.
Yesterday in Mosul, coalition forces detained six suspects,
including one wanted man who is believed to facilitate the movement
of terrorist funds between Iraq and neighboring countries. Intelligence
reports also suggest that the suspect has connections to the
regional al-Qaida leader. Additionally, the suspect allegedly
aids the movement of suicide bombers from Iran to Iraq, officials
said.
Coalition forces detained three suspected terrorists in Mosul
today during two related operations targeting a wanted man with
multiple links to al-Qaida financial networks. Coalition forces
also targeted al-Qaida finance networks during an operation in
Baghdad today. During that operation, an alleged terrorist financier
who is believed to be a direct conspirator with a longtime regional
al-Qaida leader was detained along with another suspect.
During an operation outside Ash Shurah, about 25 miles southeast
of Mosul, coalition forces detained an alleged terrorist believed
to be associated with multiple al-Qaida leaders. Four additional
suspects were detained during the operation.
A coalition operation today in Dujayl, about 35 miles north
of Baghdad, targeted al-Qaida communication networks. Forces
captured a wanted man allegedly connected to a senior al-Qaida
in Iraq courier.
Coalition forces operating alongside the Iraqi army in Kirkuk
today netted a wanted terrorist believed to have connections
with foreign terrorist organizations. During the operation, the
man identified himself and forces seized multiple weapons, including
a sub-machine gun.
In
other operations:
— Coalition forces captured two Iranian-backed illegal militia
suspects during an operation in Kut, about 125 miles southeast
of Baghdad. Coalition forces targeted one suspect believed to
be a roadside-bomb expert responsible for numerous attacks against
coalition forces. Forces approached the wanted man’s location,
where they encountered two suspected associates. During questioning,
the two suspects appeared to be intoxicated to the point where
they could not stand, and they were belligerent with coalition
forces. The suspects were detained without incident.
— “Sons of Iraq” citizen security
group members manning a checkpoint discovered a mobile cache
in Salahuddin
province. The vehicle carrying the explosives was designed for
emplacing roadside bombs from within its interior. The cache
included 18 RKG-3 anti-tank hand grenades, 15 RKG-3 fuse handles,
a tin of RKG-3 detonators, and a 107 mm rocket.
—
The Muqdadiyah special weapons and tactics team arrested the
mayor
of Abu Sayda after they discovered a weapons cache
at his orchard house in the Diyala province. Among items found
were an improvised claymore mine, an RPG launcher, a 60 mm mortar
tube, a 60 mm mortar tripod, a 2.75-inch rocket, an RPG round,
two 120 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, 12 60 mm high-explosive
mortar rounds, two 81 mm high-explosive mortar rounds, two homemade
bombs, 35 non-electric detonators, five 60 mm mortar fuses, three
electric detonators, a stick of C4 explosive, two fragmentation
grenades, three AK-47 assault rifle barrels, two machine gun
barrels and 10 bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles.
— Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd
Infantry Regiment,
1st Brigade Combat Team, conducted a targeted raid using actionable
intelligence to apprehend two suspected criminals living in southern
Baghdad. Two pistols were confiscated from the detainees, who
reportedly are responsible for sectarian violence in southwestern
Baghdad.
— Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers from
the 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry
Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected
roadside-bomb cell
leader and his brother north of Taji. The suspect is believed
to have orchestrated an Aug. 10 suicide-bomb attack in Tarmiyah,
as well as multiple small-arms attacks, officials said. The suspect
also is alleged to have secured weapons for use against Iraqi
and coalition forces.
— The Iraqi special weapons and tactics unit in Amarah arrested
a suspected criminal after receiving information on the individual’s
location from various sources. Iraqi forces conducted the mission
without coalition forces present. Following the apprehension,
the Amarah SWAT unit searched the individual, his home and job
locations. They found several items that may lead to future arrests,
officials said.
— Hillah SWAT arrested a suspected criminal cell leader while
serving an Iraqi Interior Ministry warrant in the Hamza area.
The man is a suspect in small-arms attacks against Iraqi and
coalition forces, and is said to be a specialist in constructing
electrical components for roadside bombs. While searching for
another individual named in the warrant, SWAT detained three
men in a home where they uncovered homemade explosives, including
a wooden crate wired to explode. U.S. Special Forces, who assisted
in the operation, entered another home when they came under fire
from within the house. They returned fire, killing the suspect.
— Iraqi special operations forces in New Baghdad captured a
suspected criminal leader of a roadside-bomb cell.
— The newly formed Amarah SWAT team captured a man suspected
of leading a criminal cell leader and facilitating the acquisition
of Iranian weapons by other criminal groups in Iraq.