THE TENSION: Forces in Iraq Detain Six, Destroy Weapons Caches

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, April 23, 2008 (AFPS) -- Iraqi and coalition forces detained six suspected criminals and destroyed multiple weapons caches today near Khan Bani Saad, an area allegedly used as a manufacturing and storage location for homemade bombs, north of Baghdad.

Acting on previously gathered intelligence, Iraqi and coalition forces moved into the area and immediately stopped a suspected criminal’s vehicle trying to escape.

They discovered numerous weapons and detained three individuals. One of those detained allegedly received weapons training in Iran and was involved in numerous attacks on coalition forces and Iraqi security forces personnel, officials said.

The combined forces detained three more suspects during building searches at two other locations. Additionally, they discovered more weapons caches that included various munitions, assault rifles, and other weapons and materials to create bombs. All weapons materials were destroyed.

In operations in Iraq yesterday:

Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team witnessed a criminal emplacing an improvised explosive device in northeast Baghdad. Soldiers shot and killed the criminal.

Unmanned aerial vehicle operators from the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team spotted two individuals with a mortar tube. They loaded the weapon into a vehicle and drove off in northeastern Baghdad. Shortly after their departure, the UAV fired one Hellfire missile, killing two criminals and destroying one vehicle.

In northeastern Baghdad, soldiers from 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, engaged and killed one criminal after coming under a small-arms fire.

In eastern Baghdad, criminals attacked soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team with a homemade bomb while the soldiers were conducting a mounted patrol. The patrol was then attacked with rocket-propelled grenades. The soldiers identified the criminals’ location and engaged them with small-arms fire, killing six.

Criminals attacked soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team with RPGs in eastern Baghdad. Soldiers identified two separate RPG teams and retuned fire, killing five criminals.

Elements from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, detained a suspected criminal in the Abu Ghraib area, west of Baghdad. This suspect is believed to be involved with attacks on Iraqi army and coalition forces and the making of homemade bombs.

Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team discovered and seized four Iranian-made 107 mm rockets while patrolling their sector in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad.

In Iraq operations April 21:

Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, discovered a weapons cache containing rocket-propelled grenade rounds, an AK-47 assault rifle and a box of PKC rounds in Yusifiyah. The cache was destroyed by an explosive team.

A member of the local “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group led Multinational Division Center soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, to a weapons cache containing two armor-piercing explosively formed projectiles near Jisr Diyala. One of the EFPs had a makeshift stand for adjusting elevation. Both were turned over to an explosives team.

Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, seized three anti-tank RPG launchers and 10 high-explosive RPG rounds in the Rashid district in southern Baghdad. Soldiers from Company C, 4-64th AR, along with their Iraqi security forces counterparts from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, discovered the weapons cache.