Surge Success in Baqouba

News in balance:

If you read or listened to the major headlines out of Iraq today, you would be informed by AP and Reuters that hundreds of fierce al Qaeda militants are fighting to death while making a stand in their Baquba bastion.

"It is house to house, block to block, street to street, sewer to sewer," said Brigadier-General Mick Bednarek, commander of Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Iraq's Diyala province.

"They're clearly in hiding, no question about it. But they're a hardline group of fighters who have no intention of leaving, and they want to kill as many coalition and Iraqi security forces as they possibly can," the general said in an interview with The Associated Press and another news agency.

However, as CNN and The Associated Press also report, the insurgents can hide but they cannot run. American attack helicopters fired on al-Qaida militants trying to slip past an Iraqi checkpoint in Baqouba on Friday, killing 17 of them. That brings to 68 the number of militants killed so far in the operation.

The Wall Street Journal notes U.S. raids are now specifically targeting roadside bombers in the Baghdad area. About operations around Baqouba, the Journal reports:

The military began another major campaign against Sunni insurgents Monday in the area surrounding Baqouba, the capital of Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad, but an American commander there said a key difference was a new Iraqi commitment to the effort. "It's different than Fallujah in the fall of '04, because of the Iraqi commitment here. They're side by side with us, and locals have finally realized here that al Qaeda has no future here," said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, assistant commander for operations with the 25th Infantry Division.

Troops also made a gruesome discovery:

U.S. soldiers, acting on a tip, raided a house in the area late Thursday and found what was believed to be a torture chamber, with blood trails, saws, drills and knives as well as explosives embedded in the walls. The building was destroyed in a controlled detonation, he said, adding that remnants of human remains but no bodies had been found inside.

UPI reports that Iran has responded to the U.S. surge in Iraq with its own surge.

Lt. Gen. Ray Odierno told journalists increased Iranian backing for Iraqi militants apparently started in March.

"I think as we talked about surging forces ... I think maybe Iran decided to surge more money, conduct a bit more training and surge a few more weapons into Iraq at the same time," Odierno said.

In other areas of Iraq, two more insurgents were killed and 37 others were detained Friday during coalition and Iraqi operations against al Qaeda in Iraq and Shiite militia groups, the U.S. military said.

From the Pentagon:

‘Arrowhead Ripper’ Continues to Pressure al Qaeda
Operation combines Iraqi and Coalition resources.
By Multi-National Division -- North Public Affairs Office

BAQOUBA, Iraq, June 22, 2007 -- Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) teamed with Task Force Lightning units, Thursday, to clear Baqouba and surrounding areas as Operation Arrowhead Ripper continued.

“We are shoulder-to-shoulder with Iraqi Security Forces in this fight,” said Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek, deputy commanding general, operations, and commander of Operation Arrowhead Ripper. “Specifically the 5th Iraqi Army Division led by Maj. Gen. Saleem Kariem Ali Alotbei, along with the provincial director of police, Maj. Gen. Ganim, have provided the Iraqi security forces to the fight.

"Jointly with ISF, and the citizens of Baqouba, we are beginning to root out al- Qaida operatives and safely neutralize their traps."
--Brig. Gen. Mick Bednarek

The weeks ahead are absolutely key in not only holding and retaining the ground that is cleared in partnership with Coalition Forces (CF), but also in building trust and confidence with the citizens of Diyala.”

In support of the operation, attack helicopters from 2nd Squadron, 6th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Squadron, 82nd Attack Reconnaissance Battalion provided assistance to Iraqi and Coalition ground forces, killing at least 13 al-Qaida operatives and destroying an al Qaeda compound during the second day of the operation.

“Over the last three days, the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade has provided Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition infantrybrigade combat teams, attack, scout and transportation helicopters. These assets give Coalition and Iraqi ground forces the added support they need to eliminate or contain al Qaeda during operation Arrowhead Ripper in Baqouba,” said Lt. Col. Gregory Baker, deputy commanding officer, 25th CAB.

In a separate engagement, CF soldiers discovered an empty school complex rigged with explosives in Baqouba, the capital city of Diyala province, Thursday, during Operation Arrowhead Ripper.

Soldiers of 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment discovered the booby-trapped school complex. An investigation of the area determined the school and surrounding buildings had been abandoned.

CF had to destroy the school due to risk to the community. CF were unable to disable the explosives because of instability. Ground forces effectively coordinated a precisions guided munitions strike and successfully destroyed the school-borne IED.
There were no civilian injuries or deaths as a result of this action.

“Jointly with ISF, and the citizens of Baqouba, we are beginning to root out al- Qaida operatives and safely neutralize their traps,” said Bednarek.

As Arrowhead Ripper continued through June 21, at least 51 al Qaeda operatives have been killed, with 20 al Qaeda operatives detained, seven weapons caches discovered, 21 improvised explosive devices destroyed and nine booby-trapped structures destroyed.

Note: Arrowhead Ripper is one operation in a drive to take on insurgents in the towns and villages ringing Baghdad. Operation Marne Torch, southeast of Baghdad, and offensives in Anbar province, the Sunni-dominated region west of Baghdad, are also targeting militants living in villages there.

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