Forces in Iraq Capture 16 Suspects

Dispatches from the Front:

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2008 -- Coalition forces caught 16 suspected terrorists today in central and northern Iraq during operations to disrupt the al-Qaida in Iraq network.

Coalition forces captured a wanted man and five other suspects during two operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq cells in Mosul. The wanted man is believed to be a cell leader who plans and conducts bombing attacks against coalition forces.

West of Samarra, about 65 miles north of Baghdad, coalition forces captured an alleged associate of senior al-Qaida in Iraq leaders in Salahuddin province.

Northwest of Balad, about 50 miles north of Baghdad, coalition forces captured a man who allegedly facilitates suicide bombings. They detained six additional suspects in that operation.

Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists in Baghdad during an operation targeting an al-Qaida in Iraq senior leader.

In operations in Iraq yesterday, an Iraqi special weapons and tactics team caught four suspected terrorists in Tal Afar, about 240 miles northwest of Baghdad. The operations targeted major cell members of the Islamic Sons of Iraq, which officials said is a front organization for the foreign-led al-Qaida in Iraq. Those captured are suspected of recent bombings and attacks against the local citizens and coalition forces.

Also yesterday, Iraqi army soldiers found a large weapons cache in Mosul. The cache included 600 pounds of bulk explosives, grenades, 200 pounds of ammunition, 16 radios, three mortar tubes, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, eight AK-47 assault rifles, a rocket, 10 dynamite blocks and five pipe bombs.

In operations May 11, a local citizen led Iraqi soldiers to a cache in Shakariya, southwest of Baghdad. The cache included 50 rocket fuses, varied ammunition, an anti-tank grenade, three pressure plates, a bag of homemade explosives, and various trigger components.

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

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