THE TENSION: Troops in Iraq Kill 22 Terrorists, Nab 37

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2008 -- Coalition and Iraqi forces killed 22 suspected terrorists, captured 37 others, and seized weapons caches in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.

During operations today:

An air weapons team fired a Hellfire missile at four criminals as they attempted to emplace an improvised explosive device in northeastern Baghdad around 1 a.m. The missile killed all four and destroyed the IED.

A separate AWT witnessed two criminals setting up a firing position in northeastern Baghdad at about 1:30 a.m. The AWT engaged with one Hellfire missile and killed one criminal; the other fled to a nearby building. The AWT could not engage the second criminal due because innocent civilians were near the building.

Coalition forces captured six suspects south of Beiji, including two wanted men. One of the wanted suspects allegedly leads a large bombing cell that spans Salahuddin province. The other is believed to be a key distributor of explosives used against coalition forces and their allies. Troops also discovered and destroyed a weapons cache during the operation.

Coalition forces detained four suspected terrorists in two raids targeting al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Samarra.

Coalition troops continued to corral members of the al-Qaida in Iraq propaganda network, detaining a wanted man in Baghdad who is believed to conspire directly with terrorist leaders.

Troops, using information gleaned in an April 21 operation, captured an alleged go-between for al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders in Mosul.

Troops descended on an alleged foreign terrorist hideout northeast of Khalis and detained one suspected terrorist believed to be an assistant to the al-Qaida in Iraq network.

In operations around Iraq yesterday:

Coalition forces and Iraqi police members recovered three rocket rails while searching the Ubaydi neighborhood of the New Baghdad district. During the operation, criminals attacked the joint forces with explosives and small-arms fire. The combined force and an AWT retaliated, killing an IED triggerman and three Iranian-backed “special groups” criminals.

A Multinational Division Baghdad AWT killed three criminals in northeastern Baghdad. Around 10:30 a.m., the AWT observed the men attacking a coalition forces patrol with small-arms fire. The AWT engaged them with a Hellfire missile, killing all three.

A three-man criminal mortar team attacked U.S. and Iraqi soldiers at their joint security station in northeastern Baghdad. Soldiers located and engaged the assailants, killing all three.

Around 10 p.m., an AWT spotted criminals digging by a road in northeastern Baghdad. The AWT engaged them with a Hellfire missile, killing two.

Coalition forces fired on a renegade vehicle east of Samarra that refused to stop after verbal commands and warning shots. Troops killed one suspected terrorist in the vehicle. Two others, armed with grenades, exited the vehicle. Coalition forces, responding to the hostile threat, engaged and killed them.

Coalition troops near Taji stopped a vehicle believed to be associated with terrorist activity. While searching the vehicle, coalition forces found several pipe bombs, two assault rifles and bomb-making materials. They destroyed the weapons materials and the vehicle and detained three terrorism suspects.

Forces targeted an individual in Mosul believed to be involved in planning suicide attacks. Troops stopped a vehicle believed to be associated with the suspect, and detained five suspected terrorists.

During April 23 operations:

Coalition forces conducted four coordinated operations in Samarra targeting associates of al-Qaida in Iraq leaders. When troops called out for occupants to exit the target building, one man initially appeared, but suddenly refused to follow the interpreter's instructions and moved toward the building. Perceiving hostile intent, coalition forces engaged and killed him. Troops detained eight suspected terrorists.

Coalition forces in southern Baghdad captured three suspected terrorists, including a suspected financier and liaison for al-Qaida in Iraq groups in Baghdad and the southern belt surrounding the city. As troops secured buildings in the area, one man failed to comply with coalition forces' instructions and reached for an object under a pillow. Coalition forces responded to the hostile threat by engaging and killing the terrorist.

Troops captured an alleged terrorist assistant and four additional suspects during an operation along the Tigris River south of Tikrit. The suspected assistant is believed to directly conspire with senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders who move in and out of the country.

In a separate southern Baghdad raid, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists while targeting an individual believed to have a long history with the al-Qaida in Iraq network, whose group conducts bombing and small-arms attacks. One of the suspects was wanted for his alleged role as a bombing cell leader in the city.

Coalition forces found and recovered 12 Iranian-made rocket launchers south of Baghdad following a tip from a local resident. The rocket launchers, designed for 107 mm rockets, were discovered near a reported launch site. This site appeared to be targeting a nearby forward operating base. Initiation wire attached to the launchers indicated they are of Iranian origin. The same type of wire has been found at previous launch sites, military officials said.