THE TENSION: Forces in Iraq Detain Insurgent, Foil Ambush

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, March 14, 2008 (AFPS) -- Coalition troops in Iraq captured a suspected bomb maker and thwarted an insurgent ambush during operations in Baghdad over the past few days, military officials said.

U.S. soldiers detained a suspected improvised explosive device maker March 12 in the Jadida area of the Karadah security district in eastern Baghdad, officials said.

Soldiers with the 10th Infantry Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team detained the suspected terrorist, who tested positive for explosive materials. Intelligence officials believe the detention of the suspect will result in reduced roadside-bomb attacks on Iraqi and coalition security forces in the area.

U.S. soldiers in Baghdad also foiled an attempted ambush in the northern portion of the city’s Adhamiya district March 11. Soldiers with the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team were attacked by enemy small-arms fire after they’d entered the area in response to reports of mortar activity.

An air-weapons team identified and engaged the suspected attackers, who were in three vehicles. One suspect was wounded and all three vehicles were disabled during the exchange.

The injured suspect was detained and taken to a coalition outpost for medical treatment. Three other suspects also were detained.

Local Iraqi residents then alerted the U.S. soldiers about a possible enemy munitions cache in the area. Following the tip, the soldiers seized 85 mm rockets, rocket launchers, mortars, a 122 mm projectile and 40 mm grenades.

Also, over the past week in Anbar province, Iraqi police discovered two huge weapons caches that contained rockets, rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, rifles, machine guns, radios, hand grenades, mortars and mortar rounds, small-arms and machine-gun ammunition and more, officials said.

In Fallujah, Iraqi police found a large weapons cache hidden inside a city residence March 11. Numerous hand grenades, small-arms ammunition, rocket-propelled-grenade launchers, rifle scopes, blasting caps and more ordnance were discovered inside a hidden room that had been concealed by a false wall, officials said.

Eight other massive weapons caches were discovered March 7 on a farm located near Rawah, officials said. The Rawah caches included more than 8,800 items that in total weighed more than 2,600 pounds. Much of the buried ordnance was found to be unserviceable.

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